After the liberation of Czechoslovakia from the German occupation, the restoration of statehood and the formation of its own armed forces began. At the first stage, the Czechoslovak Air Force was equipped with equipment and weapons of Soviet and British production. In November 1945, Soviet troops left the country's territory, after which air defense and control of the country's airspace were entrusted to its own air force and anti-aircraft units.
Piston fighters of the Czechoslovak Air Force in the early post-war years
At the beginning of 1944, La-5FN and La-5UTI began to enter service with two fighter regiments of the 1st Czechoslovak Corps, which fought as part of the Red Army. The Czechoslovak Air Force in 1945 had about 30 La-5FN and La-5UTI, but all of them were badly worn out and decommissioned in 1947. The Czechoslovak Air Force also included seven dozen Supermarine Spitfire Mk. IX, which were previously flown by Czech pilots from three Royal Air Force squadrons. But after the Czechoslovak Communist Party became dominant in February 1948, it became clear that it would not be possible to keep the Spitfires flying for a long time, and 59 British-made fighters were sold to Israel.
Fighters Supermarine Spitfire Mk. IX Czechoslovak Air Force
Czechoslovakia became the only country where, in addition to the USSR, a significant number of La-7 fighters were in service. Even before the withdrawal of the Soviet military contingent, in August 1945, two fighter regiments received more than 60 piston La-7 fighters (three cannon vehicles produced by the Moscow plant # 381). Taking into account the fact that the aircraft, built according to wartime standards, had an established service life of only two years, in the spring of 1946 the question arose of extending their service life. According to the results of a survey carried out by specialists of the joint Czechoslovak-Soviet commission, it was recognized that six La-7s out of the available 54 fighters were not suitable for further operation.
Fighter La-7 Czechoslovak Air Force
After the strength tests of the gliders of two aircraft were carried out in the summer of 1947, the La-7 fighters that remained in working order were allowed for further operation under the designation S-97 (S-Stihac, fighter). However, pilots were advised to avoid significant g-forces and fly with great care. The intensity of training flights decreased, and the last La-7 in Czechoslovakia was decommissioned in 1950.
At the end of World War II, in connection with the fierce bombing of German aircraft factories located in Germany, an attempt was made to organize the assembly of Messerschmitt Bf.109G fighters at the Avia plant in Prague-Cakovice. Soon after the restoration of independence, it was decided to continue the production of Messerschmites from the existing assembly kits. The single Bf-109G-14 was designated S-99, and the two-seater Bf-109G-12 trainer was designated CS-99.
Fighter S-99 Czechoslovak Air Force
Due to the shortage and limited resource of extremely forced engines Daimler-Benz DB605 with a capacity of 1800 hp. there was a shortage of aircraft engines, and by 1947 it was possible to build only 20 S-99 and 2 CS-99 fighters. It was proposed to solve the problem by installing other German aircraft engines available in the country on the Bf-109 - Junkers Jumo-211F with a capacity of 1350 hp. The aircraft with this engine received the designation Avia S-199.
Fighters S-199
In addition to the new engine, the Messerschmitt used a larger diameter metal propeller, a different hood and a number of auxiliary units. The composition of the armament also changed: instead of a 20-mm MG 151 motor-gun and two 13, 1-mm MG-131 machine guns, a pair of synchronous MG-131 machine guns were left on the S-199, and two more 7, 92-mm machine guns could be mounted in the wing machine gun or in special gondolas hung two 20-mm MG-151 cannons.
Due to the fact that the Junkers Jumo-211F engine was originally created for bombers: it had a longer resource, but was significantly heavier and produced less power. As a result, the S-199 was noticeably inferior in flight data to the Bf-109G-14. The speed in level flight dropped from 630 km / h to 540, the ceiling dropped from 11000 m to 9000 m. In addition, the heavy engine caused a sharp forward shift of the center of gravity, and this significantly complicated piloting, especially during takeoff and landing. Nevertheless, the S-199 was serially built until 1949. In total, about 600 aircraft were assembled. In April 1949, 25 S-199 fighters were sold to Israel. Despite the relatively low characteristics compared to its German prototype, the S-199 was in service with the Czechoslovak Air Force until the mid-1950s.
The first jet fighters of the Czechoslovak Air Force
By the beginning of serial production of the Me.262, German aircraft manufacturers were subjected to regular airstrikes by British and American heavy bombers. In this connection, the leadership of the Third Reich decided to decentralize the production of components and organize the assembly of aircraft at several factories at the same time. After the liberation of Czechoslovakia, the Avia aircraft manufacturer retained a full range of components (including Jumo-004 aircraft engines), of which nine single-seat jet fighters and three training twin-trainers were assembled between 1946 and 1948. Single-seat aircraft received the designation S-92, two-seat aircraft - CS-92. The flight of the first Czechoslovak jet fighter S-92 took place at the end of August 1946. All available S-92 and CS-92 were brought together in the 5th fighter squadron, which was based at the Mlada Boleslav airfield, 55 km north of Prague.
Jet fighter S-92
However, jet S-92s were operated in the Czechoslovak Air Force rather limitedly. The reliability of the Jumo-004 turbojet engine left much to be desired, the service life was only 25 hours. The combat readiness factor of fighters on average did not exceed 0.5, and several jet combat aircraft, of course, could not effectively protect the skies of the country. Operation of the S-92 in combat units was short-lived, all fighters were written off by 1951.
In the second half of 1950, a batch of twelve Yak-23s arrived in Czechoslovakia, later they were joined by ten more aircraft of this type. The fighters were transferred to the specially formed 11th IAP based at the Mlada Boleslav airfield and received the designation S-101.
Yak-23 Czechoslovak Air Force
The Yak-23 jet is a relatively little-known combat aircraft, whose service in the USSR Air Force was very short. Its production began in 1949 and lasted for about a year. A total of 313 were built. A significant part of the Yak-23 was delivered to the Soviet allies in Eastern Europe.
The fighter of the "redanny scheme" had a thin straight wing with a laminar profile and looked frankly archaic. Flight data were also not brilliant: the maximum flight speed was 925 km / h. Armament - two 23-mm guns. Although the Yak-23 was much inferior to the MiG-15 in terms of flight speed and armament composition, the Czechoslovak pilots noted that the fighter had a good climb rate and maneuverability. Thanks to this, the Yak-23 was well suited for intercepting air border violators. Its stall speed was significantly lower than that of swept-wing interceptors, and the Yak-23 could equalize its speed with piston aircraft and actively maneuver at low altitude. Good maneuverability and the ability to fly at a relatively low speed came in handy for the Czechoslovak S-101 when intercepting reconnaissance balloons, which were launched in large numbers from the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany. Several S-101s were lost in flight accidents, the operation of the aircraft continued until 1955.
A significant increase in the capabilities of the Czechoslovak Air Force in intercepting air targets occurred after the start of operation of the MiG-15 fighter. The first swept-wing jet fighters appeared at Czechoslovak air bases in the second half of 1951.
MiG-15 of the Air Force of Czechoslovakia
The MiG-15, which for its time had sufficiently high flight performance and very powerful armament, consisting of one 37-mm and two 23-mm cannons, made a great impression on the pilots and brought the Czechoslovak Air Force to a qualitatively new level. Soon after the MiG-15 entered service with the national air force, the Czech leadership expressed a desire to purchase a package of documentation for the licensed production of the fighter. Serial assembly of the MiG-15, designated S-102, at Aero Vodochody began in 1953. A total of 853 aircraft were built. In parallel, a two-seat training version of the CS-102 (MiG-15UTI) was produced. Soon the assembly of the improved MiG-15bis fighter under the name S-103 began at the factory stocks. A number of sources claim that the Czechoslovak MiG-15s were better than the Soviet ones in terms of manufacturing quality.
MiG-15bis Air Force of Czechoslovakia
Until the end of the 1950s, the MiG-15 and MiG-15bis formed the basis of the fighter aviation of the republic, on which Czechoslovak pilots often climbed to destroy reconnaissance balloons and towards violating aircraft. There have been cases when fire was opened on aircraft that had invaded the airspace of Czechoslovakia.
The highly publicized incident known as the "Air Battle over Merklin", which took place on March 10, 1953, over the village of Merklin, located in the Pilsen region, in the west of the country. The incident was the first clash between US Air Force combat aircraft and Soviet-made fighters in Europe since the end of World War II. It must be said that in the 1950s, NATO pilots often flew into the airspace of pro-Soviet countries, conducting aerial reconnaissance and keeping ground air defense forces and fighter aircraft in suspense.
At the same time, the meeting between two Czechoslovak MiG-15s and a pair of American F-84E Thunderjet fighter-bombers was largely coincidental. In Czechoslovakia at that time, an air force exercise was underway, and American pilots were ordered to check a balloon drifting along the border of Czechoslovakia and the Federal Republic of Germany. Deliberately or not, the Thunderjets crossed the border between the countries, and the regional air defense command officer sent two MiG-15s stationed in the area to meet them and gave the command to intercept. After the leader of the MiG-15 pair demanded by radio to leave the airspace of the republic did not wait for an answer, he opened fire. After the first round, one Thunderjet was damaged by a 23-mm shell. The Americans, having come under fire, immediately turned around and headed towards the FRG, but the MiG managed to enter the host and finish off the damaged aircraft from a distance of 250 m. The falling American plane crossed the Czechoslovak-German border and crashed in West Germany 20 km south of Regensburg. The pilot successfully ejected at an altitude of 300 m.
Since the wreckage of the American plane and the pilot were discovered outside Czechoslovakia, an international scandal erupted. US representatives denied that their pilots had crossed the Czechoslovak border and said that the MiGs, having invaded the American occupation zone, opened fire first. After the incident on the Czechoslovak-German border, the activity of NATO combat aviation increased sharply. Numerous American and British combat aircraft patrolled the border with Czechoslovakia. However, after a month, tensions eased and the incident was forgotten.
The service of the single-seat MiG-15bis in the Czechoslovak Air Force was quite long. As the fighter regiments were equipped with new aviation technology, strike functions were assigned to the first generation jet fighters. But at the same time, until the final decommissioning in the late 1960s, the pilots of the fighter-bombers practiced aerial combat and interception.
The evolutionary version of the MiG-15bis fighter was the MiG-17F. Thanks to a 45˚ swept wing and a VK-1F engine equipped with an afterburner, the flight speed of the MiG-17F came close to the speed of sound. A high degree of continuity with the MiG-15 with increased flight rates allowed the MiG-17F to maintain ease of piloting and maintenance, as well as powerful weapons.
The first MiG-17Fs of the Czechoslovak Air Force received in 1955. A small number of MiG-17Fs were supplied from the USSR, with which one squadron was equipped. Soon, licensed production of fighters began at the Aero Vodochody aircraft plant under the designation S-104. In total, 457 MiG-17F and MiG-17PF were built in Czechoslovakia.
The MiG-17PF was equipped with the RP-5 "Izumrud" radar, which made it possible to intercept in the absence of visual contact with the target. The transmitter antenna was located above the upper lip of the air intake, and the receiving antenna was located in the center of the air intake. The fighter's armament consisted of two NR-23 cannons.
MiG-17PF Air Force of Czechoslovakia
Subsequently, the Czechoslovak MiG-17PFs were equipped with holders of K-13 (R-3S) guided missiles, which increased the combat capabilities of the interceptors. As a result, they stayed in service in Czechoslovakia until the early 1970s.
Supersonic fighters of the Czechoslovak Air Force
In 1957, an agreement was reached on the supply of 12 MiG-19S and 24 MiG-19Ps to Czechoslovakia. In 1958, another 12 MiG-19S were delivered. The MiG-19S and MiG-19P fighters received from the USSR were equipped with two air regiments. The mastery of these supersonic aircraft dramatically increased the capabilities of Czechoslovakia's air defense to intercept air targets.
MiG-19S Air Force of Czechoslovakia
In horizontal flight, the MiG-19S accelerated to 1450 km / h. Built-in armament - two 30-mm NR-30 cannons with 100 rounds of ammunition. The MiG-19P interceptor carried four RS-2U guided missiles and was equipped with the Izumrud radar.
In the mid-1950s, the design bureau of the Aero Vodokhody enterprise began work on the creation of an S-105 air defense interceptor capable of operating during the day at altitudes up to 20,000 m. … So that Czech specialists could get acquainted in detail with the design of the MiG-19S, two reference machines and thirteen aircraft in different stages of readiness were delivered to an aircraft building enterprise on the outskirts of Prague. By the end of 1958, all aircraft arriving from the USSR were assembled and flown. The first serial S-105 was delivered to the customer at the end of 1959. In the design of fighters assembled in Czechoslovakia, a large number of components and assemblies supplied from the Soviet Union were used. In total, by November 1961, Aero Vodokhody had produced 103 S-105s. Czechoslovakia was the only Warsaw Pact country to establish licensed production of the MiG-19S.
Fighter S-105
In total, the Czechoslovak Air Force received 182 aircraft of the MiG-19 family, of which 79 were delivered from the USSR. The most advanced were the 33 MiG-19PM interceptors received in 1960. Operation of these machines continued until July 1972.
Czechoslovak MiG-19PM in the museum exhibition
Soon after mastering the MiG-19, they began combat duty. The higher speed compared to the MiG-15 and MiG-17 and the longer flight duration made it possible to reach the interception line faster and stay in the air longer. This affected the actions of the Czechoslovak interceptors to suppress violations of the air border. Already in October 1959, a pair of MiG-19s, under the threat of the use of weapons, forced the West German F-84F fighter to land. In the fall of the following year, the pilots of the Czechoslovak Air Force intercepted the American "classmate" - the F-100D Super Saber.
In response to the improvement of the military aviation of NATO countries, in the 1960s, supersonic MiG-21 fighters with a delta wing appeared in the air forces of the Warsaw Pact states. Czechoslovakia, bordering the FRG, became one of the first countries of the Eastern Bloc to adopt the MiG-21F-13 front-line fighter. In 1962, the first Soviet-built MiG-21 F-13 entered service with the Czechoslovak Air Force. In the same year, licensed construction began at the Aero Vodokhody plant. The development of production went with great difficulty, and at first the Czechs assembled aircraft from components supplied from the USSR. During the construction process, as the transition to components and assemblies of our own production, technical documentation was processed and individual changes were made to the aircraft design. The Czech-built MiG-21F-13 externally differed from Soviet-made fighters in the absence of a transparent fixed part of the cockpit canopy; on Czech machines it was sewn up with metal. In total, the company "Aero Vodokhody" from February 1962 to June 1972 built 194 MiG-21F-13. Some of the Czechoslovak-made aircraft were delivered to the GDR. Shortly before decommissioning, the remaining MiG-21F-13 were reclassified into fighter-bombers. At the same time, the aircraft received protective camouflage.
MiG-21F-13 Air Force of Czechoslovakia
The MiG-21F-13 fighter became the first mass modification in the numerous "twenty-first" family, and its on-board instrumentation system was very simple. The aircraft did not have its own radar, the sighting equipment consisted of an ASP-5N-VU1 optical sight coupled with a VRD-1 computer and an SRD-5 "Kvant" radio range finder located in a radio-transparent fairing of the central body of the engine air intake. The search for air targets was carried out by the pilot visually or by commands from the ground control point. Built-in armament included a 30 mm HP-30 cannon. Two K-13 homing missiles could be suspended under the wing. For air targets, it was also possible to use the 57-mm NAR C-5 from two 16 charging launchers. The maximum flight speed at altitude is 2125 km / h.
The next modification of the "twenty-first", mastered by the Czechoslovak pilots, was the MiG-21MF. From 1971 to 1975, 102 of these fighters arrived. After that, the MiG-21MF became the "workhorse" of the Czechoslovak Air Force for a long time. Subsequently, the Czechs established refurbishment and production of spare parts for fighters received from the Soviet Union, which, combined with a high service culture and respect, allowed some MiG-21MFs to be in service for almost 30 years.
MiG-21MF Air Force of Czechoslovakia
Compared to the previous modification, the front-line interceptor MiG-21MF had great capabilities. Thanks to a new, more powerful engine, acceleration characteristics increased, and at high altitudes the aircraft could reach a speed of 2230 km / h. The composition of the fighter's armament has changed. Built-in armament is represented by a 23-mm GSh-23L cannon with 200 rounds of ammunition, and rockets were suspended on four underwing nodes: K-13, K-13M, K-13R, R-60, R-60M, as well as 57-mm NAR in blocks UB-16 or UB-32.
Thanks to the presence of the RP-22 "Sapphire-21" radar with a detection range of large air targets up to 30 km, it became possible to increase the efficiency of interception at night and in difficult weather conditions. K-13R missiles with a semi-active radar homing head and a launch range of up to 8 km could be used to fire at targets that were not visually observed. This, in combination with the automated targeting system of the interceptor, greatly facilitated the process of attacking an air target.
Upgraded MiG-21MFN Czech Air Force
The MiG-21MF, despite the supply of more modern combat aircraft from the USSR, until 2002, remained the main fighter of the Czech Air Force. After the division of the military property of Czechoslovakia, the Czech Air Force as of January 1, 1993 had 52 MiG-21MF fighters and 24 MiG-21UM combat training aircraft. To maintain the fighters in working order and comply with NATO air defense standards during overhauls, the Czech MiG-21MF remaining in service were brought to the level of the MiG-21MFN. The modernized fighters received new means of communication and navigation. Operation of the MiG-21MFN in the Czech Air Force continued until July 2005. By that time, 4 MiG-21MFN and the MiG-21UM trainer were in flight condition.
MiG-21MF and MiG-21UM Czech Air Force
The decommissioned fighters were put up for sale. Three MiG-21MFN were sold to Mali. The buyers of several MiGs taken from storage were individuals and museums. Currently, the former Czech MiG-21s are used by the private aviation company Draken International, which works under a contract with the US military. During training air battles, MiGs designate enemy fighters.
For all its merits, the MiG-21MF available in the Czechoslovak Air Force at the end of the 1970s could no longer be considered effective air defense interceptors. This required an aircraft with a large combat radius, equipped with a powerful airborne radar station and capable of carrying medium-range air-to-air missiles.
In August 1978, the 9th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Czechoslovak Air Force received three MiG-23MF and two MiG-23UB. Ten more variable-wing fighters arrived during 1979. The MiG-23MF fighters of the Czechoslovak Air Force began to be considered combat-ready since November 1981.
The Sapfir-23 onboard radar, in comparison with the RP-22 station installed on the MiG-21MF, could detect targets at a distance greater than 1.5 times. The R-23R missile with a semi-active radar seeker was capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 35 km, and surpassed the UR K-13R by this indicator by 4 times. The launch range of the R-23T UR with TGS reached 23 km. It was believed that this rocket could fire at targets on a collision course and that the heating of the leading edges of the aerodynamic surfaces was enough to lock the target. At altitude, the MiG-23MF accelerated to 2500 km / h and had a significantly larger combat radius than the MiG-21MF. To guide the interceptor by commands from the ground, the MiG-23MF was equipped with the Lazur-SM guidance equipment, and the TP-23 heat direction finder was part of the avionics. The armament of the MiG-23MF consisted of two medium-range missiles R-23R or R-23T, two or four short-range missiles K-13M or R-60 melee missiles and a suspended container with a 23-mm GSh-23L cannon.
MiG-23MF Czech Air Force
In 1981, the pilots and ground technical personnel of the Czechoslovak Air Force began to master a more advanced modification of the "twenty-third" - the MiG-23ML. The aircraft had a power plant with increased thrust, improved acceleration and maneuverability, as well as electronics on a new element base. The detection range of the Sapphire-23ML radar was 85 km, the capture range was 55 km. The TP-23M heat direction finder detected the exhaust of a turbojet engine at a distance of up to 35 km. All sighting information was displayed on the windshield. Together with the MiG-23ML, R-24 medium-range missiles were supplied to Czechoslovakia, capable of hitting air targets when launched into the front hemisphere at a distance of up to 50 km. In close combat, the MiG-23ML pilot had at his disposal the upgraded UR R-60MK with an anti-jamming cooled TGS and a 23-mm cannon in a hanging container.
MiG-23ML Czech Air Force
By November 1989, the MiG-23MF / ML and the MiG-23UB combat trainer were combined into one air regiment. After the collapse of Czechoslovakia, it was decided to divide the combat aircraft between the Czech Republic and Slovakia in a 2: 1 ratio. However, the Slovaks were not interested in the MiG-23 fighters, and they preferred to get more modern MiG-29s.
Originally painted MiG-23MF of the Czech Air Force, which participated in a joint Czech-French exercise in 1994
In 1994, several Czech fighters MiG-29 and MiG-23MF, as part of establishing partnerships with NATO countries, participated in joint maneuvers with French fighters Mirage F1 and Mirage 2000. Quite predictably, the MiG-23MF lost in close combat to more maneuverable French fighters. At the same time, foreign observers noted that the MiG-23MF with a variable geometry wing, due to the presence of medium-range missiles in the armament, a sufficiently powerful radar and good acceleration characteristics, had good potential as an interceptor.
As already mentioned, the MiG-23MF / ML had greater capabilities compared to the MiG-21MF. At the same time, all modifications of the "twenty-third" were much more complicated and expensive to operate and required a higher flight training of pilots and highly qualified technical personnel. In this regard, the Czech MiG-23MF were decommissioned in the second half of 1994. The last MiG-23ML were decommissioned in 1998.
