First Hungarian Air Force L-39NGs
April 17, 2025
The first two L-39NGs for the Magyar Légierö (Hungarian Air Force) were noted (serials 141/0539 and 142/0540), complete and fully painted, during a visit to the Aero Vodochody factory by Czech Minister of Defence Jana Ásternochová and Slovak Minister of Defence Robert Kalinák. The two ministers were visiting the Czech company to speak about deepening defence-industrial cooperation between the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
At the end of 2016 the Hungarian Government launched its ‘Zrinyi 2026’ modernization programme which included the purchase of 12 Aero L-39NG aircraft (in the NATO-standard L-39NG.T1 configuration), consisting of eight trainers and four reconnaissance aircraft, together with the delivery of two KC-390s, two A319s, two Falcon 7s, two Zlin 143s, and six Zlin 242s. The programme also saw the upgrade of eight Mi-24s and orders for 16 H225s and 20 H145s.
The first four L-39NG aircraft for the Hungarian Air Force were originally expected to be delivered in the second half of 2024, but the first two aircraft (serial numbers 7017 and 7018) were diverted to the Czech company LOM Praha, which was responsible for Hungarian pilot training.
The first Skyfox aircraft are due to be imminently delivered to the Hungarian Air Force at Kecskemét (south of Budapest).
