List of Aero L-39 Albatros operators explained
This is a list of countries and their air force units that have operated the Aero L-39 Albatros.
Military operators
Current
Abkhazia
- Abkhazian Air Force
- 4 L-39s as of December 2009
Algeria
- Algerian Air Force
- 55 L-39s as of December 2020[1]
Armenia
- Armenian Air Force
- 10 aircraft as of December 2020.
Angola
- National Air Force of Angola
- 4 aircraft as of December 2020.
Azerbaijan
- Azerbaijan Air Force
- 12 aircraft as of December 2020.
Bangladesh
- Bangladesh Air Force
- Operating 7 L-39ZA out of 8 L-39ZA acquired in late 1990s. One was lost in a crash in 2012 killing a pilot.[2]
Belarus
- Belarus Air Force
- 12 aircraft as of December 2020.
Bulgaria
- Bulgarian Air Force
- 1/12 Training Squadron operating 6 L-39ZA aircraft.
Central African Republic
Central African Republic Air Force
- 6 L-39s donated by Russia.[3]
Cuba
- Cuban Air Forceoperating 26 L-39C aircraft in three squadrons:
- UM 3710 Escuadrón de Intercepcion
- UM 1660 Escuela de Ensenanza de Vuelo Avanzada
- UM 4768 Escuadrón de Intercepcion
Egypt
- Egyptian Air Force
- 1 aircraft as of December 2020.
Equatorial Guinea
- Armed Forces of Equatorial Guinea
- 2 aircraft as of December 2020.
Estonia
- Estonian Air Force
- 1 aircraft as of December 2020.
Ethiopia
- Ethiopian Air Force
- 10 aircraft as of December 2020.
Georgia
- Georgian Air Force
- 8 aircraft as of December 2020.
Kazakhstan
- Kazakhstan Air Force
- 17 aircraft as of December 2020.
Libya
- Libyan Air Force
- 181x L-39ZO acquired during Gaddafi's era.
- Ten former Libyan L-39ZO delivered to Egypt.
- 10 aircraft as of December 2020.
Mali
- Malian Air Force
- At least four L-39Cs delivered by Russia in August 2022.[4] [5]
Mozambique
- Mozambique Air Force
- One L-39ZO acquired from Romania in 2013.[6]
Nigeria
- Nigerian Air Force
- 8 aircraft as of December 2020.
Nicaragua
- Nicaraguan Air Forces
Russia
- Russian Air Force
- 181 aircraft as of December 2020.
Senegal
- Senegalese Air Force
- 4 L-39NG on order as of December 2020.
Slovakia
- Slovak Air Force
- 4x L-39C
- 4x L-39ZA
- 7 aircraft as of December 2020.
Syria
- Syrian Air Force
- 55 L-39ZO and 44 L-39ZA bought from Czechoslovakia in the 1970s and 1980s.
- 61 aircraft as of December 2020.
Tajikistan
- Tajik Air Force
- 4 aircraft as of December 2020.
Tunisia
- Tunisia Air Force
- 9 aircraft as of December 2020.
Uganda
- Ugandan Air Force
- 8 L-39ZA as of December 2020.
Ukraine
- Ukrainian Air Force
- 47 aircraft as of December 2020.
Uzbekistan
- Uzbekistan Air Force
- 2 aircraft as of December 2020.
Vietnam
- Vietnamese Air Force
- 25 aircraft as of December 2020.
Yemen
- Yemen Air Force
- 28 aircraft as of December 2020.
Former
Afghanistan
- Afghan Air Force
The Afghan Air Force operated as many as 26 L-39Cs from 1977 through 2001, but only three of them survived in 2001. In December 2021, a report by Al Jazeera showed an Afghan L-39 undergoing an engine test at Kabul International Airport.[7] Cambodia
- Royal Cambodian Air Force
- Formerly operated 6 L-39C trainer aircraft
- Recently ordered 4 L-39NG trainer aircraft[8]
Chad
- Military of Chad
- Operated 11 L-39ZO aircraft.
Republic of the Congo
- Congolese Air Force
Czech Republic
- Czech Air Force
- L-39C
- L-39ZA
- L-39V
- L-39MS
Czechoslovakia
- Czechoslovakian Air Force
- 33x L-39C
- 6x L-39MS
- 8x L-39V
- 30x L-39ZA
Two Czechoslovakian AF L-39Vs were delivered to the East German Air Force.[9]
All Czechoslovakian Air Force aircraft passed to successor states – Czech Republic and Slovakia.
East Germany
- East German Air Force
- 52x L-39ZO
- 2x L-39V
- Two former Czechoslovak L-39Vs delivered to the East German Air Force.[9]
- Twenty former East German L-39ZO delivered to Hungary.[9]
Ghana
- Ghana Air Force
Hungary
- Hungarian Air Force
- 20x L-39ZO
- Twenty former East German L-39ZO delivered to Hungary [9]
Iraq
- Iraqi Air Force
Kyrgyzstan
- Kyrgyzstan Air Force
Lithuania
- Lithuanian Air Force
Romania
- Romanian Air Force
South Sudan
- South Sudan Air Force
- Unknown number of L-39 jets with logistical and maintenance support from Uganda[10]
Soviet Union
- DOSAAF
Soviet Air Force
All Soviet Air Force aircraft passed to successor states: Azerbaijan,the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
Thailand
- Royal Thai Air Force
- 37 L-30ZA/ART in commissioned from 1994 to 2021.
Turkmenistan
- Turkmenistan Air Force
Civil operators
Australia
A small number of L-39s are flown in Australia as jet flight experiences for paying public.
Austria
[11]
Canada
- International Test Pilots School[12]
Northern Lights Aerobatics Team from Montreal used 2 L-39C in 2000, but ceased operating them and performing airshows after 2000.[13] The aircraft were registered and based in the US with Northern Lights USA of Lafayette, LA with 1 lost in crash in 2001.
France
- Breitling Jet Team
A civilian aerobatic display team based in Dijon, France; operating seven L-39 Albatros jets in the colours of their sponsor, Breitling.
- TopGun Voltige
This company based in La Roche-sur-Yon operates 2 L-39 Albatros jets for touristic flights.[14] New Zealand
Fighter Jets NZ operate 2 L-39 from Tauranga, NZ for jet flight experiences and also do airshow displays around the country.
Soviet Union
- DOSAAF
DOSAAF paramilitary organization, tasked with the training and preparation of reserves for the Soviet armed forces, operated unknown number of L-39.United States
Hundreds of L-39s are finding new homes with private owners all over the world, especially in the United States.
See also
References
Bibliography
- Book: Cooper . Tom . Syrian Conflagration: The Syrian Civil War, 2011-2013 . 2022 . Helion & Company Publishing . Warwick, UK . 978-1-915070-81-4 . Revised.
- Hoyle, Craig. "World Air Forces Directory". Flight International, Vol. 182, No. 5370, 11–17 December 2012. pp. 40–64. ISSN 0015-3710.
- Aero L-39 Albatros page in Scramble magazine
Notes and References
- Web site: World Air Forces 2021. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210110064115/https://www.flightglobal.com/reports/world-air-forces-2021/141456.article. 10 Jan 2021. 7 March 2021. flightglobal.com.
- Web site: Report . Star . 2012-04-09 . Training aircraft crashes . 2023-10-02 . The Daily Star . en.
- News: Russia increasing material potential of Central African national army by supplying fighter jets – Manuel Nguema . 4 June 2023 . Daily Post . 23 May 2023.
- Web site: Martin . Guy . Mali commissions new aircraft . defenceWeb . 10 August 2022.
- Web site: Lagneau . Laurent . Le Mali a reçu au moins quatre avions d'attaque légers L-39C Albatross, probablement livrés par la Russie . opex360.com . 9 August 2022.
- Isby. David C.. Willis. David. Mozambique Rebuilding its Air Force. Air International. December 2013. 85. 6. 26. 0306-5634.
- Web site: Mitzer . Stijn . Oliemans . Joost . Taliban Air Force Commences Jet Operations . Oryx Blog . 31 December 2021.
- Web site: Czech arms to be purchased - Khmer Times. 15 October 2019.
- http://www.scramble.nl/wiki/index.php?title=Aero_L-39_Albatros Aero L-39 Albatros page in Scramble magazine
- Web site: Binnie. Jeremy. South Sudan now flying L-39 jets. IHS Jane's 360. 12 September 2016. London. 12 September 2016.
- Web site: L-39 users from all over the world met in AERO Vodochody. September 15, 2016.
- Web site: Aircraft – ITPS Canada. 2020-10-09.
- Web site: Pure Jet Experience - Wings Magazine . 2011-01-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120307112724/http://www.wingsmagazine.com/content/view/760/38/ . 2012-03-07 . dead .
- Web site: TopGun Voltige.
