Hungary has received its first three L-39 Skyfox training aircraft from Aero Vodochody at the Kecskemét Air Base in Bács-Kiskun in the country’s south.
The aircraft, which are part of a 12-unit Skyfox order for the Hungarian Air Force, will be assigned to the 101st Tactical Training Squadron of the Vitéz Szentgyörgyi Dezső Aviation Brigade.
The planes will require Budapest’s domestic advanced pilot training capabilities amid its push for a more modern military.
“We are constantly developing the Hungarian Air Force, because protecting our airspace is crucial,” Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said.
“The L-39 Skyfox type military training and light combat aircraft strengthen not only the capabilities of the Hungarian Air Force, but also the protection of the Hungarian people,” he added.
The aircraft will also be integrated with the Hungarian contingent of the NATO Flight Training Europe program, a network of training campuses around the continent that fosters adaptable and interoperable pilot training.
Aero’s services supporting Hungary’s fleet of L-39s include ground support equipment, simulators, and a comprehensive training program for its crew.
Developed and manufactured in the Czech Republic, the L-39 Skyfox is a subsonic jet and tactical aircraft designed mainly for training and light combat.
It can reach a top speed of 563 miles (907 kilometers) per hour, a service ceiling of 37,500 feet (11,500 meters), and has an operational endurance of four hours and 30 minutes.
Its operators include Vietnam, which received its final batch of training aircraft in March. The country chose Aero’s planes for pilot training to diversify its defense partnerships after traditionally relying on weapons and equipment manufactured by Russia.
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