Aircraft

PICTURE: Hungary's last three Gripen fighters delivered

By Craig Hoyle

The Hungarian air force has received its last three Saab Gripen C fighters from a 14-aircraft lease/buy deal signed with the supplier and Sweden's Defence Materiel Administration (FMV).

Flown to the service's Kecskemet air base by Swedish air force pilots on 13 December, the aircraft joined an earlier nine single-seat Gripen Cs and two D-model two-seaters already assigned to its 59th Tactical Fighter Wing.

© Pia Ericson/FMV

The Saab-led Gripen International organisation announced on 10 December that it has now agreed with the Hungarian government 98% of its offset obligations linked to the fighter deal, with the package worth almost SKr7.2 billion ($1.1 billion). "We have fulfilled our total export obligations to the Hungarian Ministry of Economy and Transport," says programme director Kaj Rosander.