Sixth Hungarian Gripen delivered

From Defence Talk

Sixth Hungarian Gripen Fighter Successfully Delivered

Swedish Defence Materiel Administration

Oct 27, 2006 - 4:37:00 AM

One more Hungarian Gripen fighter, of the latest C version, landed at Kecskémet air base today. It was flown by a pilot from Swedish Air Force. The flight, which departed from FMV’s facility outside Linköping, lasted for about two hours.

“Today’s delivery is yet another important milestone in the Gripen for Hungary program,” said Mats Hansson, program director for the Gripen for Hungary program within FMV.

The remaining Gripen aircraft will be delivered to Hungary progressively until December 2007.

Hungary is the third nation, after Sweden and the Czech Republic, to operate the fourth generation Gripen fighter. Hungary will receive the latest C and D versions of the Gripen aircraft. These aircraft are the latest C and D versions of the Gripen aircraft and are equipped with full color cockpit displays, a retractable air-to-air refueling probe and are fully NATO-interoperable.

Since August 2006 the second group of Hungarian pilots has take part in the converse training which will qualify them as Gripen pilots. The five pilots are now half way trough the training and have started to fly the Gripen aircraft on their own. This second group will finish their training in Sweden by December 2006.

After that they will go back to Hungary and continue their training on the Hungarian Air Force Gripen aircraft. That training will be conducted by the first group of Hungarian pilots, who are trained to be instructor pilots on the Gripen aircraft with support from two Swedish pilots.

At the same time the second group of Hungarian technicians started their training at the Armed Forces technical school at Halmstad. The 19 technicians will end there theoretical training in Halmstad in December 2006.

In January 2007 they will start their OJT (On the Job Training). OJT is the practical part of the training and will be conducted on the same type of Gripen aircraft as the Hungarian air force has. This part of the training will take place at the Swedish Air Force wing F 17 at Ronneby, at FMV test center in Linköping and at Kecskémet.

All 19 technicians will have finished their training by the beginning of May 2007.