Farewell Flights Held in Hungary for Mi-17 and Mi-24 Helicopters

The Hungarian Air Force held farewell flights for the Mi-17 and Mi-24 helicopters, which are being permanently retired from service. This event marked the end of nearly four decades of these aircraft’s service in the country’s military aviation.

A video featuring footage of the flights was published by Combatant Blog on its YouTube channel.

The first Mi-17 military transport helicopters entered service with Hungary in 1987. At that time, the country received its first batch of seven of these helicopters from the Soviet Union to modernize its army aviation fleet. They were assigned to the 87th Combat Helicopter Brigade.

Over nearly 40 years of service, the Hungarian Mi-17s carried out missions involving the transport of personnel, troop deployment, and cargo transport. The helicopters were based at air bases in Szeged and, later, in Kecskemét and Szolnok.

In addition to military missions, the helicopters were deployed for civilian operations during emergencies. The Mi-17s were used to fight forest fires and evacuate people during major floods on the Danube and Tisza rivers.

After Hungary joined NATO in 1999, the Hungarian Mi-17s underwent modernization, during which they were equipped with AN/ARC-210 radios, ‘friend-or-foe’ identification systems, and TACAN-standard navigation equipment.

From 2009 to 2013, the Hungarian Air Force deployed Mi-17s to the ISAF mission in Afghanistan as part of an air training group. Hungarian specialists trained dozens of Afghan crews and technicians. Flights were conducted in high-altitude conditions at elevations exceeding 3,000 meters. Due to technical wear and tear and the expiration of the between-overhaul service life in 2016, Hungary signed a contract for the overhaul of five Mi-17 helicopters in Russia. The agreement cost approximately €13 million. The refurbished helicopters returned to the country in 2017, extending their service life by 7 years or 2,000 flight hours.

As part of the Zrínyi 2026 armed forces modernization program, the Hungarian Ministry of Defence decided to completely replace its Soviet-era fleet.

The country has ordered 20 H145M light helicopters and 16 H225M medium multi-purpose helicopters from Airbus Helicopters. The latter are being delivered under a contract signed in 2018.

Along with the transport helicopters, Mi-24 attack helicopters are also being decommissioned. Hungary operated the Mi-24D and Mi-24V variants, and the total number of helicopters of this type received by the country exceeded 40 units.

In 2017–2018, eight Hungarian Mi-24 helicopters underwent major overhauls at the 419th Aircraft Repair Plant in Russia to extend their service life. Their cockpits were upgraded to accommodate night-vision goggles, and their engines were replaced.