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The Hungarian air force’s first five of 14 Saab Gripen fighters arrived at the service’s Kecskémet airbase yesterday after completing an approximately 2h transit flight from Linköping in Sweden.
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The aircraft – Hungary’s two two-seat D-model fighters and first three single-seat Gripen Cs – will be formally accepted into service on 30 March during a ceremony at Kecskémet, around 80km south-east of the capital Budapest.
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The aircraft, which were flown to the base by four Hungarian pilots and three from the Swedish air force – will be followed by another nine Gripen Cs by December 2007.
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For use initially as interceptors, Hungary’s Gripens are armed with Raytheon AIM-9L Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, although its air force also intends to procure air-to-surface weapons and reconnaissance equipment for the type.
All Pictures © FMV |