Sweden completes delivery of Gripen fighter aircraft to Hungary

14 Dec 2007

The three remaining Hungarian Gripen fighters, of the Hungarian Air Force's total order for fourteen aircraft, landed at Kecskmet air base in Hungary today.

The aircraft, of the latest `C` standard currently being delivered to customers worldwide, were flown from Försvarets materielverk's (FMV) facility outside Linkoping to Hungary by pilots from the Swedish Air Force.

Gripen Fighter Aircraft. Photo: Pia Ericson, FMV

''With the delivery of these three aircraft today, FMV has now completed the delivery of all fourteen Gripen fighter aircraft to Hungary, and we have done this on time and in accordance with the contract. I would like to express my gratitude to all those people, on both the Swedish and Hungarian teams who have helped to make the Gripen for Hungary programme a success,'' said Mats Hansson, programme director, Gripen for Hungary, within FMV.

Hungary is the third European nation, after Sweden and the Czech Republic, and the second NATO nation to operate the Gripen new generation fighter.

The Hungarian Air Force has the latest `C` (single seat) and `D` (two seat) version of the Gripen fighter aircraft. These aircraft are the latest versions of the Gripen fighter equipped with full colour cockpit displays, a retractable air-to-air refuelling probe and are fully NATO-interoperable.