# Hungarian People's Army

The Hungarian People's Army (Hungarian: Magyar Néphadsereg) or the HPA was the military of the Hungarian People's Republic and the armed branch of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party from 1951 to 1990. It only saw combat in a foreign country once during its existence, which was assisting the Soviet Union in crushing the Prague Spring. It maintained close ties to the Warsaw Pact along with other Eastern Bloc countries. It dissolved in 1989 and retained its current form through the Hungarian Defence Forces.

## History
### Early years

Soviet influence over the Hungarian armed forces began to rapidly increase starting in November 1948, "..when hundreds of Soviet military "advisers" were assigned to the Hungarian army from the top all the way down to the regimental level. Although theoretically acting only as advisers, they influenced all important decisions. Beginning in December 1948, thousands of Hungarians began attending Soviet military and political academies to gain technical expertise and political indoctrination. Hungarian generals were sent to Soviet general staff schools."
After the 1948 creation of the HPA the allies and the Soviet Union permitted it to have a 65,000 strong Army and an Air Force with 5,000 personnel and 90 aircraft. The first Minister of Defence Mihály Farkas completely based the HPA off Stalinism until the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953. The HPA mimicked the Soviet Army's Political commissar model, In which party members could teach the ideas of Marxism–Leninism to soldiers of the HPA. After Stalin's death, de-Stalinization swept through the HPA quickly leading to the resignation of Farkas as Minister of Defence.

### 1956 revolution and aftermath

During the Hungarian revolution of 1956, the People's Army was deployed at a minimum. During this period, the Soviet Army invaded Hungary due to the revolution which was taking place. As a result, the Soviets took away most of the HPA's equipment, and dismantled the Air Force. In 1959 they began rebuilding the HPA and the new Hungarian leader János Kádár, asked for 200,000 Soviet troops from the Southern Group of Forces to stay in the country, which led to the government to rely more on the Soviets leading to the deterioration of the HPA.

### Role in the invasion of Czechoslovakia

In 1968, the Soviet Union and four other member states of the Warsaw Pact, building on the doctrine of “limited sovereignty”, invaded Czechoslovakia in gross violation of the principle of non-interference in internal affairs (Article 2(7), Chapter I of the United Nations Charter). Bypassing the Parliament, the Hungarian party and the government decided to take part. The designated troops were largely those of 8th Motor Rifle Division. The Hungarian military units were ordered on July 27, 1968, at 3 o'clock in the morning, to be fully operational and to carry out the mobilization of the reservists. The troops occupied Aszód and Rétság on 28 July, and their prepared waiting areas in the area between, and were prepared to carry out the task here. Out of the mobilised Hungarian personnel, four were killed in accidents.
The Danube Flotilla was incorporated into the Ground Forces in 1968.

### Reorganization and modernization

In the late 1970s, the top political leadership demanded that the military leadership propose an organizational structure better suited to the size, geographical location, position in the Warsaw Pact, and changes in armaments and technology. The aim was to create an army that was better suited to the size and military geographical position of Hungary smaller than the existing one, and with less but more modern equipment. At the end of 1984, General Lajos Czinege was retired. The plans, drawn up in consultation with the Commander-in-Chief of the Joint Armed Forces, provided for substantial changes in both forces, the implementation of which would begin in 1985. This was the so-called "RUBIN task", which was in all respects a modernization and reorganization policy that aimed to:
* continue the Hungarian commitments to the Warsaw Pact
* provide the HPA with modern and advanced equipment
* adapt the military doctrinal practices to the changing times
This policy eliminated the division level organization in both forces, and thus, four corps were created, three land forces and one for domestic air defence, replacing eight divisions.
The Air Defence and Aviation Command was established to provide domestic air defence. On the basis of the disbanded 1st Home Air Defence Army Command and the two Air Force Divisions, the 1st Hungarian Air Defence Corps Command was established in Veszprém, incorporating the newly formed brigades of Hungarian Air Defence (air-missile and radio-technical units). As a result of the replacement of reconnaissance aircraft with more modern ones, an independent squadron was organised on the basis of personnel of the 101st reconnaissance aircraft regiment. Transport and combat helicopters were organised into regiment-level units.
For ground troops, although the army corps command level (5th Army Command) and army corps direct-reporting troops remained unchanged, an entirely new structure emerged with the abolition of divisions and many of the regiments and the introduction of NATO styled brigade organizations, a first in the Warsaw Pact. This meant that the 1st Mechanized Corps was set up in Tata and the 2nd Mechanized Corps in Kaposvár. The 3rd Corps, which had been independent in Cegléd until then, was subordinated to the 5th Army Command. Each land forces corps, by 1988, included five brigades (infantry and armored) organized into a brigade HQ and the combat, combat support and service battalions and/or companies under the brigade framework.
In 1981 Danube Flotilla received six AM type modern minesweepers, and by 1988 it consisted of 700 men and eighty-two vessels, including ten Nestin MSI (riverine) boats. During wartime its chief functions would have been to clear the Danube River and Tisza River of mines, and, in addition, to assist the Hungarian Ground Forces and other Warsaw Pact armies to successfully transport their men and its materiel across rivers.

### End of the HPA

Soviet troops relaxed their control during the era of Mikhail Gorbachev, and Hungary later became a Democratic Republic. As it moved on from socialism the HPA was converted into the new model, officially dissolving the HPA and becoming the new Hungarian Defence Force.

## Structure

The HPA included the Hungarian Ground Forces and the Air and Air Defence Forces. In the early 1980s, it was estimated that the ground forces accounted for 90 percent of the HPA. By 1 July 1986, the International Institute for Strategic Studies estimated that the Ground Forces and the Danube Flotilla had 83,000 personnel (including 50,000 conscripts), and the Air Forces 22,000 (including 8,000 conscripts) for a total of 105,000 personnel. Four years later, a less precise 1989 manpower estimate was approximately 100,000, of which about 64,000 were conscripts.
In 1963 the Ground Forces were organised into:
* 5th Army at Székesfehérvár
** 7th Motor Rifle Division at Kiskunfélegyháza
** 8th Motor Rifle Division at Zalaegerszeg
** 9th Motor Rifle Division at Kaposvár
** 11th Tank Division at Tata
** 34th Special Reconnaissance Battalion at Székesfehérvár
* 3rd Army Corps at Cegléd
** 4th Motor Rifle Division at Gyöngyös
** 15th Motor Rifle Division at Nyíregyháza
Tactical Aviation Command at Veszprém (later relocated to Börgönd)
* 101st Reconnaissance Regiment at Szolnok (relocated to Taszár in 1984 as a reconnaissance squadron)
* 87th Attack Helicopter Regiment at Szentkirályszabadja (upgraded to brigade in 1987)
* 89th Composite Air Transport Regiment at Szolnok (formed in 1984 as the 101st Reconnaissance regiment vacated the air base)
* 90th Command Support and Courier Helicopter Regiment at Börgönd
* 93rd Composite Air Squadron at Tököl
1st Homeland Air Defence Army Command at Veszprém
* 1st Air Defence Division at Veszprém
** 47th Fighter Regiment at Pápa
** 31st Fighter Regiment at Taszár
** 11th Air-defence Artillery Brigade at Budapest, after 1977 Érd
** 104th Air-defence Artillery Regiment Nagytarcsa after Szabadszállás
** 45th Radiotechnical Warning Regiment at Taszár
* 2nd Air Defence Division at Miskolc
** 59th Fighter Regiment at Kecskemét
** 105th Air-defence Artillery Regiment at Miskolc
** 54th Radiotechnical Warning Regiment at Kecskemét
The 1st Homeland Air Defence Army and its two constituent air defence divisions were merged in 1984 into the 1st Homeland Air Defence Corps. It took over the three fighter air regiments, the air defence brigade and the two air defence regiments and the 54th and 45th radar regiments merged into the 54th Radiotechnical Brigade. All the homeland air defence units carried the 'Honi' [Homeland] prefix in their official designations.

## HPA security forces

In the early 1980s, there were also four separate internal security forces under the Ministry of Interior. These included the Internal Security Troops (Belső Karhatalom); the State Security Authority (Államvédelmi Hatóság, ÁVH)'s Security Police (disbanded in 1956, replaced with the MI Department III), the Frontier Guard or Border Guard (Határőrseg, HO), wearing army uniforms, 15,000 strong; and the Workers' Militia (Munkás Őrseg, MŐ). By mid-1986 it was estimated that the Frontier Guards were 16,000 strong, with 11,000 conscripts, divided into 11 districts.

## Equipment

Hungary had the smallest number of aircraft and least equipment in the Warsaw Pact.
In the 1950s the Army was equipped with T-34/85 tanks, as well as 68 IS-2s, which were in service between 1950 and 1956. After the crackdown of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 all were returned to the Soviet Union.
The Army had 1,200 T-54 and T-55 tanks in 1988. It also had about 100 Soviet-made T-72s in its inventory. The HPA's artillery included 225 M-1938 120mm and 50 M-1943 or D-1 howitzers. It also included 90 2S1 122mm and 20 2S3 152mm self-propelled guns. The Army had 26 river minelayers/sweepers (25 tons), 26 mine countermeasure river vessels, 15 river patrol craft (10 tons), 5 small river utility landing craft, Small river troop transport vessels, and River icebreakers.

### Small arms

| Name | Origin | Type | Caliber | Notes |
| Handguns ||||||
| Pisztoly 63 Minta | Hungarian People's Republic | Semi-automatic pistol | 9 × 18 mm | Commonly known as "PA 63M". Frame is not blued for simplicity in manufacture but the frame was blued in later production. In service from 1963 intil 1996 when replaced by the FÉG P9RC in Hungarian Defence Forces service. |
| Pisztoly 48 Minta | Hungarian People's Republic | Semi-automatic pistol | 7.62 × 25 mm | Hungarian made TT-33 |
| TT-33 pistol | Soviet Union | Semi-automatic pistol | 7.62 × 25 mm | Limited amounts purchased prior to domestic manufacture of 48.M TT-33 copy. |
| Rendõrségi Pisztoly 48.M (48.Minta) | Hungarian People's Republic | Semi-automatic pistol | 7.65 × 17 mm | Hungarian copy of the Walther PP pistol. Mainly used by police, during 1956 revolution was offered to party officials for self defense. |
| Assault rifles ||||||
| AK-63 | Hungarian People's Republic | Assault rifle | 7.62 × 39 mm | Standard service rifle |
| AKM-63 Gépkarabély | Hungarian People's Republic | Assault rifle | 7.62 × 39 mm | Perforated Metal Handguard and foregrip, folding stock version also manufactured. |
| AMD-65 Gépkarabély | Hungarian People's Republic | Assault rifle | 7.62 × 39 mm | AKM-63 with folding stock and shortened barrel |
| AMP-69 Gépkarabély | Hungarian People's Republic | Assault rifle | 7.62 × 39 mm | Special rifle for shooting rifle grenades |
| AK-55 Gépkarabély | Hungarian People's Republic | Assault rifle | 7.62 × 39 mm | Copy of AK-47 |
| Machine guns ||||||
| RPK Machine Gun | Hungarian People's Republic | Light machine gun | 7.62 × 39 mm | Licensed manufacture by Fémáru és Szerszámgépyár (FÉG), Budapest. Folding stock for paratrooper version. |
| PK Könnyű Géppuska | Hungarian People's Republic | General-purpose machine gun | 7.62 × 54 mmR | PK, PKB, PKS. Licensed manufacture by Fémáru és Szerszámgépyár (FÉG), Budapest. Available with PPN-3 scope sight. |
| RPD machine gun | Soviet Union | Light machine gun | 7.62 × 39 mm | |
| DP Golyószóró | Soviet Union | Light machine gun | 7.62 × 54 mmR | Adopted after pressure from USSR to replace Solothurn machine guns. DPM, and DTM also used. |
| 7.62mm KGK Géppuska | Hungarian People's Republic | General-purpose machine gun | 7.62 × 54 mmR | Manufactured by Fémárú Fegyver és Gépgyár, Budapest, Hungary. |
| Submachine guns ||||||
| VZ.61/VZ.62 Skorpion machine pistol | CSSR | Submachine gun | 7.65 × 17 mm | Known as 7,65 mm SHE-61 Géppisztoly in Hungarian service. Also used by police forces special service. |
| Géppisztoly 48.Minta | Hungarian People's Republic | Submachine gun | 7.62 × 25 mm | Hungarian made PPSH-41. Towards the 1970s was relegated to use by Border Guards, Police Forces, Workers' Militia, and Reserve Forces. |
| PPSH-41 | Soviet Union | Submachine gun | 7.62 × 25 mm | Limited amounts purchased prior to domestic manufacture of 48.M. |
| Kucher Model K1 | Hungarian People's Republic | Submachine gun | 7.62 × 25 mm | Known as Gepisztoly 53 Minta or as the "Spigon submachine gun", Referred to as 'Pénzügyőr Géppisztoly' (Financier/Treasury Machine Gun), in service from 1953 to 1960s mostly with Border Guards and Treasury officers, replaced by PPSH-41/48M and out of service by 1960s. |
| Danuvia 43M submachine gun | Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946) | Submachine gun | 9 × 25 mm | In service until early 1950s. |
| Sniper rifles ||||||
| SVD Dragunov | Soviet Union | Semi-automatic sniper rifle | 7.62 × 54 mmR | |
| Távcsöves Mesterlövö Gyalogsági Puska, 48.Minta | Hungarian People's Republic | Bolt-action sniper rifle | 7.62 × 54 mmR | A direct copy of the original Soviet Model 1891/30 sniper rifle |
| Bolt-action rifles ||||||
| Gyalogsági Puska, 48.M (48.Minta) | Hungarian People's Republic | Bolt-action rifle | 7.62 × 54 mmR | Hungarian made M1891/30 rifle. |
| Gyalogsági Karabély, 48.Minta | Hungarian People's Republic | Bolt-action rifle | 7.62 × 54 mmR | Hungarian made M44 Mosin Nagant carbine. |
| Mosin Nagant M1891/30 | Soviet Union | Bolt-action rifle | 7.62 × 54 mmR | Purchased in limited numbers. |
| Mosin Nagant M44 carbine | Soviet Union | Bolt-action rifle | 7.62 × 54 mmR | Purchased in limited numbers. |
| Hand grenades ||||||
| M42 Hand Grenade | Hungarian People's Republic | Hand grenade | 48 mm | Hungarian made offensive stick grenade, can screw on additional "heads" to increase power. |
| RKG-3 anti-tank grenade | Soviet Union | Anti-tank grenade | | Also 3M and 3T |
| Rocket-propelled grenade launchers ||||||
| RPG-7 | Soviet Union | Rocket-propelled grenade | 85 mm | 7V and 7D |
| RPG-2 | Soviet Union | Rocket-propelled grenade | 82 mm | |
| Flamethrowers ||||||
| Model 51 Flamethrower | Hungarian People's Republic | Flamethrower | N/A | Max range of 20 meters |

### Crew-served weapons

| Name | Origin | Type | Caliber | Notes |
| Heavy machine guns ||||||
| SGM Nehéz Géppuska | Hungarian People's Republic | Heavy machine gun | 7.62 × 54 mmR | Cop of SG Goryunov, manufactured by Fémárú Fegyver és Gépgyár, Budapest, Hungary. |
| DShK | Soviet Union | Heavy machine gun | 12.7 × 108 mm | |
| KPV heavy machine gun | Soviet Union | Heavy machine gun | 14.5 × 114 mm | |
| Recoilless rifles ||||||
| B-11 recoilless rifle | Soviet Union | Recoilless rifle | 107 mm | |
| SPG-9 recoilless rifle | Soviet Union | Recoilless rifle | 73 mm | |
| Anti-tank guns ||||||
| T-12 100mm/2A19 | Soviet Union | Anti-tank gun | 100 mm | MT-12 version, 106 Delivered 1973-1975 |
| 85 mm divisional gun D-44 | Soviet Union | Field gun | 85 mm | 100 guns. |
| 57 mm anti-tank gun M1943 (ZiS-2) | Soviet Union | Anti-tank gun | 57 mm | |
| 76 mm divisional gun M1942 (ZiS-3) | Soviet Union | Field gun | 76 mm | |
| Mortars ||||||
| 82-BM-37 | Soviet Union | Infantry mortar | 82 mm | |
| 2B11 | Soviet Union | Mortar | 120 mm | 25, delivered 1988 |
| 120-PM-43 mortar | Soviet Union | Mortar | 120 mm | 101 |
| Anti-tank guided missile ||||||
| 9M14 Malyutka | Soviet Union | ATGM MCLOS | 125 mm | 12500, Incl for BMP-1 IFV and Mi-24 Attack helicopter. |
| 9K111 Fagot | Soviet Union | ATGM SACLOS | 120 mm | 300 Delivered 1982-83 |
| 9M113 Konkurs | Soviet Union | ATGM SACLOS | 135 mm | 2060 Delivered 1985; 1986; 1987; 1988, including for BRDM-2 tank destroyers. |
| 3M6 Shmel | Soviet Union | ATGM MCLOS | 136 mm | |
| 9M17 Fleyta | Soviet Union | ATGM MCLOS | 148 mm | |

### Armoured vehicles

| Name | Origin | Type | Quantity | Notes |
| Tanks ||||||
| T-72B | Soviet Union | Main battle tank | 138 | T-72B Delivered 1979-1987, from Czechoslovakian and Polish stockpiles. Also VT-72B recovery vehicle. |
| T-55 | Soviet Union | Main battle tank | 1,200 (T-54 & T-55) | T-54 and T-55A. 800 T-55s delivered 1964-1965, 300 T-54 delivered 1958-1960. Also VT-55 recovery vehicle and MT-55 bridge vehicles. |
| PT-76 | Soviet Union | Amphibious light tank | 100 | |
| T-34/85 | Czechoslovakia | Medium tank | 150 | Delivered 1954-55, From Czechoslovakian production line |
| IS-2 | Soviet Union | Heavy tank | 68 | Returned to USSR after 1956 Uprising |
| Armored personnel carriers and armored reconnaissance ||||||
| BMP-1 | Czechoslovakia | Infantry fighting vehicle | 500 | Czechoslovakian supplied, Ordered 1973-78, included BRM-1K reconnaissance vehicles |
| BRDM-2 | Soviet Union | Amphibious armored scout car | 450 | 350 Armored Reconnaissance vehicles ordered 1969-75, 100 Tank Destroyers equipped with Konkurs ATGMs ordered 1973-77. Also VS BRDM-2 (NBC Recon variant) |
| BTR-60P | Soviet Union | Armored personnel carrier | 150 | Delivered 1963 |
| D-442 FUG | Hungarian People's Republic | Amphibious armored scout car | 400 | 5 variations in use: D-442.00 FÚG (Basic armoured scout car without the turret), D-442.01 PK-FÚG, D-442.03 VS-FÚG , D-442.01 MRP-FÚG, and D-442.02 MÜ-FÚG. |
| D-944 PSZH | Hungarian People's Republic | Armoured personnel carrier | 1000 | 7 variations in use: D-944.00 PSZH (Basic APC with KPVT+KGKT Turret), D-944.00M PSzH-M, D-944.00 PSZH-F , D-944.77 PSZH, D-944.31 SZDPK-PSZH, D-944.21 ZPK-PSZH , D-944.22 ZTÖF-PSZH, and D-944.21 OPK-PSZH. |
| MTLB | Soviet Union | Armored personnel carrier and Prime mover | 30 | Delivered 1975-76 |
| BTR-50 | Soviet Union | Armored personnel carrier | 150 | Delivered 1960, Incl BTR-50PU Command post version |
| BTR-40 | Soviet Union | Armored personnel carrier | 200 | Delivered 1953 |
| BTR-152 | Soviet Union | Armored personnel carrier | 160 | Delivered 1950-51 |
| OT-62 TOPAS | CSSR | Armored personnel carrier | | |
| OT-64 SKOT | Czechoslovakia | Armored personnel carrier | | |
| Assault guns ||||||
| SU-76M | Czechoslovakia | Self-propelled gun | | |
| ISU-122 | Soviet Union | Assault gun | | |
| SU-100 | Soviet Union | Assault gun | 50 | Delivered 1950–51 |

### Unarmoured vehicles

| Name | Origin | Type | Quantity | Notes |
| Trucks ||||||
| GAZ-66 | Soviet Union | 4×4 truck | | |
| Ural 375 | Soviet Union | 4.5 ton, 6×6 truck | | |
| Robur LO 1800 A | East Germany | Truck | | |
| Tatra 141 | CSSR | Truck | | |
| Avia A-30 | Hungarian People's Republic | 1.2 ton 4×4 truck | | Hungarian version of French Saviem-Renault TP-3MB. Additional models include A-30K with short bed and A-30L with a longer plank cargo bed. |
| Csepel D-352 | Hungarian People's Republic | 3.5 ton 4×2 truck | | Built on license from Steyr of Austria. Built in both tank truck and dump truck versions. Replaced by Csepel D-420 since 1955/1956. |
| Csepel D-344 | Hungarian People's Republic | 3.5 ton 4×4 truck | | Replaced the Csepel D-352 and D-420. Dump truck model is D-445. |
| Csepel D-420 | Hungarian People's Republic | 4 ton 4×4 truck | | Box bodied version used as signal van, mobile workshop, ambulance, tanker truck, and tactical command post. |
| Csepel D-564 | Hungarian People's Republic | 5 ton 4×4 truck | | |
| Csepel D-566 | Hungarian People's Republic | 8 ton, 6×6 truck | | |
| Prime movers ||||||
| Csepel K-800 | Hungarian People's Republic | Prime mover | | Licensed copy of Ya-12 artillery tractor/light tracked artillery tractor M-2 |
| PTS-2 | Soviet Union | Tracked amphibious transport | 50 | |
| Utility vehicles/light transport ||||||
| UAZ-469 | Soviet Union | Utility vehicle | | |
| GAZ-69 | Soviet Union | Utility truck | | |

### Anti-aircraft weapons

| Name | Origin | Type | Quantity | Notes |
| Self-propelled anti-aircraft guns ||||||
| ZSU-57-2 | Soviet Union | Self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon | 40 | Delivered in 1966, Second hand |
| ZSU-23-4 | Soviet Union | Self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon | 50 | Delivered 1969 |
| Anti-aircraft guns ||||||
| AZP S-60 | Soviet Union | Autocannon | | |
| ZU-23 | Soviet Union | Autocannon | | |
| ZPU-2 | Hungarian People's Republic | Heavy machine gun | | Hungarian manufactured |
| ZPU-4 | Hungarian People's Republic | Heavy machine gun | | Hungarian manufactured |
| KS-19 | Soviet Union | Dual-purpose gun | | |
| Surface-to-air missiles ||||||
| S-200 missile system | Soviet Union | Surface to Air Missile | | |
| S-75M Volga | Soviet Union | Surface to Air Missile | 12 | S-75M2 and S-73M3 versions |
| S-75 Dvina | Soviet Union | Surface to Air Missile | 18 | |
| S-125 Neva/Pechora | Soviet Union | Surface to Air Missile | 6 | |
| 2K12 Kub | Soviet Union | Surface to Air Missile | 50 | |
| 2K11 Krug | Soviet Union | Surface to Air Missile | 30 | Original deliver of 6, 30 by 1989. |
| 9K31 Strela-1 | Soviet Union | surface-to-air missile | 72 | Delivered 1979-83 |
| 9K33 Osa | Soviet Union | surface-to-air missile | ? | |
| Radar systems ||||||
| P-37 Radar | Soviet Union | Target Acquisition radar | | |
| 1S91 | Soviet Union | Target Acquisition radar | | |
| SON-9 | Soviet Union | Target Acquisition radar | 32 | For use with S-60 57mm Anti-aircraft gun |
| PRV-9 | Soviet Union | Height finding radar | 5 | Delivered in 1977-9. For use with SA-4 and SA-6 SAM systems |
| P-12 | Soviet Union | air search radar | 3 | Delivered 1963-65. For use with SA-2 SAM systems |
| P-40 radar | Soviet Union | air search radar | 10 | Delivered in 1977-79. For use with SA-6 SAM systems |
| PRV-11 | Soviet Union | Height finding radar | 3 | Delivered in 1963-65. |
| PRV-13 | Soviet Union | Height finding radar | 1 | Delivered in 1976. |
| Command vehicles ||||||
| BTR-60PU-12 | Soviet Union | Air Defense Command Vehicle | 7 | Ordered 1979-83 Part of 7 SA-13/9K35 SAM batteries |
| Man-portable air-defense system ||||||
| 9K34 Strela-3 | Soviet Union | Man-portable air-defense system | 300 | Delivered 1987-89 |
| 9K32 Strela-2 | Soviet Union | Man-portable air-defense system | | |

### Ballistic missiles

| Name | Origin | Type | Quantity | Notes |
| Tactical ballistic missiles ||||||
| 9K52 Luna-M | Soviet Union | Tactical ballistic missile | 24 | |
| OTR-21 Tochka | Soviet Union | Tactical ballistic missile | 6 | Ordered 6 in 1987, 40 9M79 Tochka Missiles, "Probably incl for use with nuclear warheads (under Soviet control)" |
| R-11 Zemlya | Soviet Union | Tactical ballistic missile | 16 | Ordered in 1960, for use with Soviet nuclear warheads (under Soviet control) |

### Artillery

| Name | Origin | Type | Quantity | Notes |
| Field artillery ||||||
| 122 mm gun M1931/37 (A-19) | Soviet Union | Field howitzer | ? | |
| 122 mm howitzer M1938 (M-30) | Soviet Union | Field howitzer | 230 | Delivered 1954-55 |
| 122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30) | Soviet Union | Field howitzer | ? | |
| 152 mm howitzer-gun M1937 (ML-20) | Soviet Union | Field howitzer | ? | |
| 152 mm gun-howitzer D-20 | Soviet Union | Field howitzer | 302 | Delivered 1959-64 |
| 152 mm howitzer M1943 (D-1) | Soviet Union | Field howitzer | 50 | Delivered 1954, second hand |
| 2S1 Gvozdika (122mm) | Soviet Union | Self-propelled artillery | 151 | Delivered 1980-83, Incl from Bulgarian production line |
| 2S3 Akatsiya (152mm) | Soviet Union | Self-propelled artillery | 18 | Delivered 1981 |
| Multiple rocket launcher ||||||
| BM-21 Grad | Soviet Union | Multiple rocket launcher | 66 | 122mm MLRS |
| BM-13 | Soviet Union | Multiple rocket launcher | 12 | 132mm MLRS |

### Aircraft

| Name | Origin | Type | Quantity | Notes |
| Helicopters ||||||
| Mi-24V/Mi-35a | Soviet Union | Attack helicopter | 10 | Delivered in 1985 |
| Mi-24D/Mi-25 | Soviet Union | Attack helicopter | 30 | 20 delivered in 1978 and 1980, 10 more ordered and delivered in 1985 |
| Mi-9 | Soviet Union | Airborne command post | 1 | 1 1989 |
| Mi-17 | Soviet Union | Transport helicopter | 7 | Delivered in 1989, Incl 2 Mi-17P (Hip-K) EW version |
| Mi-8T | Soviet Union | Transport helicopter | 25 | 2 Delivered in 1982. 25 by in 1989. |
| Mil Mi-2 | Soviet Union | Light helicopter | 36 | Delivered in 1982-86, Polish origin |
| Ka-26 | Soviet Union | Light helicopter | 22 | Delivered 1975-78 |
| Mil-4A | Soviet Union | Helicopter | 20 | Delivered 1955 |
| Mil Mi-1 | Soviet Union | Helicopter | 5 | Delivered 1962 |
| PZL SM-2 | Polish People's Republic | Helicopter | | |
| Fighter planes ||||||
| MiG-23M | Soviet Union | Fighter aircraft | 15 | Delivered in 1979 and 1981, MiG-23MF version; incl 3 MiG-23UM version |
| MiG-21bis | Soviet Union | Fighter aircraft | 50 | Delivered in 1975; 1976; 1978; 1979; 1980 |
| MiG-21MF | Soviet Union | Fighter aircraft | 53 | Delivered in 1971; 1973; 1974 |
| MiG-21F-13 | Soviet Union | Fighter aircraft | 132 | Delivered in 1961, 1962; 1963; 1964; 1965; 1966; 1967 |
| MiG-19 | Soviet Union | Fighter aircraft | 40 | Delivered in 1968, second hand from Czechoslovakia 0 |
| MiG-19PM | Soviet Union | Fighter aircraft | 40 | Delivered in 1959-60. Outfitted with K-5 SRAAM Missiles |
| MiG-17PF | Soviet Union | Fighter aircraft | 16 | Delivered 1958, Hungarian designation Csuszo |
| Mig-17 | Soviet Union | Fighter aircraft | 40 | Delivered 1958 |
| MiG-15 bis | Soviet Union | Fighter aircraft | 18 | Delivered in 1957. |
| Mig-15 | Soviet Union | Fighter aircraft | 300 | Delivered 1954-54, Hungarian designation Jaguar. |
| Sukhoi SU-7B | Soviet Union | FGA aircraft | 40 | Delivered in 1967-68 |
| Sukhoi SU-22 | Soviet Union | FGA aircraft | 15 | Delivered in 1981, Incl 3 Su-22M-3 trainer version. |
| Bombers ||||||
| Sukhoi Su-25 | Soviet Union | Ground attack | 15 | |
| Ilyushin Il-28 | Soviet Union | Medium bomber | 26 | Delivered in 1957, 1960, 1961 |
| Tupolev Tu-2S | Soviet Union | Medium bomber | 59 | Delivered in 1953 |
| IL-10 Sturmovik | Soviet Union | Ground attack | 150 | Hungarian designation Ruszko; incl B-33 version from Czechoslovakian production line. Delivered 1950; 1953; 1954 |
| Transport ||||||
| Ilyushin Il-14 | Soviet Union | Transport aircraft | 2 | |
| Antonov An-24/26 | Soviet Union | Transport aircraft | 24 | Incl 2 An-24V version for VIP transport. |
| L-410 Turbolet | CSSR | Transport aircraft | 1 | Delivered 1981 |
| Antonov An-2 | Soviet Union | Transport aircraft | 2 | Delivered 1957. |
| Yak-12 | Soviet Union | Transport aircraft | 3 | Delivered 1955. |
| Z-43 | CSSR | Transport aircraft | 4 | Delivered 1976. |
| Li-2T | Soviet Union | Transport aircraft | 11 | Delivered 1950-52, Hungarian designation Teve |
| Training ||||||
| Aero L-29 Delfín | CSSR | Trainer aircraft | 30 | Delivered 1964 and 1974. |
| MiG-21MF | Soviet Union | Fighter aircraft/trainer aircraft | 28 | Delivered in 1971; 1973; 1975; 1978; 1980, MiG-21UM version |
| Mig-15UTI | Soviet Union | Trainer aircraft | | |
| Yak-18 | Soviet Union | Trainer aircraft | 40 | Delivered 1950; 1951 |
| Yak-11 | Soviet Union | Trainer aircraft | 40 | Delivered 1954,From Czechoslovakian production line; Hungarian designation Parduc |
| Reconnaissance ||||||
| Antonov An-30 | Soviet Union | Reconnaissance aircraft | 1 | |

## Military conscription

Most conscripts were poorly trained, and therefore they were used as a labor force. All of the conscripts had to go through a few weeks of rifle training before they go into workers branches. During the conscription period opinion towards the HPA became very negative and it caused many young men to make excuses on why they should not be drafted (mainly fake medical excuses).