Hungarian Homeland Air Defense Command
order of battle January 1, 1968

After the Hungarian Revolution in 1956, the Hungarian Air Force eliminated their four air divisions! The Ilyushin IL-10 'Beast' type was extracted and planned to be replaced with MiG-15 ‘Fagot-A’, but this did not happen. Also, only four of the Tu-2 ‘Bat’ replacement IL-28 ’Beagle’s were taken over. In addition, Hungary lost 110 MiG-15 ‘Fagot-A/Midget’s and 20 MiG-17F ‘Fresco-C’s after the revolution. The Soviet Union took back many Hungarian airplanes after the revolution.

By 1960 the Hungarian fighter forces had only seventy MiG-15 (52 MiG-15bis 'Fagot-B' and 18 MiG-15UTI 'Midget') and twelve MiG-17PF 'Fresco-D' jets left.

In the late 1950s, the Soviet leadership was determined to build modern air defense in Hungary. (The Hungarian tactical air force was never rebuilt after the revolution.)

The redevelopment of the air defense force started in 1959. Hungary received twelve factory new MiG-19PM ‘Farmer-E’ supersonic all-weather capacity fighter version equipped with RS-2U ‘AA-1 Akali’ missiles. Then between 1961 and 1965 the Soviet Union delivered a significant amount of air defense weapons to Hungary. For example 80 MiG-21F-13 ‘Fishbed-C’ daytime fighters, 24 MiG-21PF ‘Fishbed-D’ all-weather interceptors, and 14 SA-75/SA-75M Dvina ‘SA-2A/B Guideline’ high-altitude surface-to-air missile air defense battalions, and more air defense radar systems. With this the modern Hungarian air defence force was primarily capable of high-altitude and high-speed interceptions, based on the principle of the fifties.

The Soviet Union equipped two new Hungarian air defense divisions with these weapons. The 1st Air Defence Division was formed in 1961 and defended the western part of the country and the capital Budapest from the NATO bombers. And the 2nd division was formed in 1962 and guarded the Hungarian northeast industrial districts. The Hungarian Homeland Air Defence Command took back the tasks of the air defense of Hungary from the Soviet South Army Groups on 10 May 1962.

In the sixties, the Hungarian Air Defense was able to intercept the high altitude targets even at night or in bad weather. This video was taken in 1969
Video: ‘Őrjárat az égen’ movie (Mozifilmbazar - DunaTV)

The Hungarian Homeland Air Defence force received more older fighter and training jets in the sixties:

• In 1962, from the Soviet Union 30 MiG-15bis ‘Fagot-B’ outdated fighter and Poland 13 MiG-15UTI ‘Midget’ two-seater trainer arrived, all were second-hand aircraft.
   
• Between 1963 and 1967 the Soviet Union sent 18 MiG-21U ‘Mongol-A’ supersonic trainer aircraft to Hungarian Air Defence force

The Hungarian Homeland Air Defence force received eighty MiG-21F-13 ‘Fishbed-C ’ interceptor aircraft, capable of high-altitude and high-speed, between 1961 and 1963.

Hungarian MiG-21F-13 ‘Fishbed-C’ interceptors in 1969, after the Invasion of Czechoslovakia
Video: ‘Őrjárat az égen’ movie (Mozifilmbazar - DunaTV)

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