In early February 2026, the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Légierő) officially withdrew the Mil Mi-24 attack helicopters, in the Mi-24P and Mi-24V variants, from operational service.
The final live-fire exercise with the type took place in late October 2025, marking the end of active flight operations for the iconic “Hind.”
After nearly five decades in service, the Mi-24 was more than just an attack helicopter: it became the backbone of Hungary’s rotary-wing combat capability. Throughout its career, the aircraft spanned the transition from the Warsaw Pact era to NATO membership, undergoing successive modernization processes and establishing itself as one of the longest-serving combat aircraft in Hungarian military history.
Arrival During the Cold War
The first Mi-24D helicopters arrived in Hungary in 1978, amid the modernization of Warsaw Pact forces. Rapidly integrated into the air force, the helicopters became the country’s primary attack platform.
Over the years, different variants were incorporated. Most of the Mi-24D fleet was withdrawn from active service in the early 1990s. In 1995, Budapest acquired approximately 20 additional airframes from Germany — Mi-24D and Mi-24P versions. Part of these aircraft was used for spare parts or placed in storage, while only a fraction remained operational.
Fleet Reduction and Final Modernization
By the late 1990s, structural cuts drastically reduced the number of operational helicopters, leaving between 12 and 20 units in flying condition. Between 2010 and 2016, virtually all Mi-24s were temporarily grounded.
The type’s service life was extended through a comprehensive overhaul program conducted between 2017 and 2018. At the end of 2017, eight Mi-24P and Mi-24V helicopters were sent to the 419th Aircraft Repair Plant in Russia for a complete overhaul. The aircraft returned to Hungary in 2018 and resumed operations between late 2018 and 2019, with restored airworthiness and service life extended until 2025.
Historic Base in Szolnok
The Mi-24 was first introduced with the 86th Helicopter Regiment in Szolnok, a unit that played a central role as Hungary’s primary combat helicopter force during the Cold War.
Following post-1990 restructuring, the unit was redesignated as the 86th Helicopter Base and continued operating the Mi-24 in the following decades. In 2004, seventeen Mi-24D/V/P helicopters were transferred to Szolnok Air Base after the closure of the Szentkirályszabadja base.
Within the current structure of the Magyar Honvédség, the unit is now designated as the 86th Szolnok Helicopter Base (MH Kiss József 86th Helicopter Brigade). The sub-unit responsible for the Mi-24P and Mi-24V was the Phoenix Attack Helicopter Battalion.
With the definitive retirement of the “Hind,” a fundamental chapter of Hungarian military aviation comes to a close, symbolizing the transition to a new phase in the modernization of the country’s rotary-wing fleet.
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Source and images: Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Légierő) | Instagram @magyar_honvedseg | Scramble.nl. This content was created with the assistance of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
