The Swedish Defence Material Administration (FMV) has updated an agreement to give Hungary more flight time and updated aircraft.
The additional agreement, signed to the lease agreement with Hungary for 14 Gripen C / D combat aircraft, gives Hungary 400 extra flight hours per year, increasing from 1,600 to 2,000 hours.
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As per the agreed terms, the Hungarian Gripensare to fly until 2026 and Sweden will provide support to cope with the extended flight time.
The deal also requires FMV to upgrade the Hungarian aircraft to the latest version of the JAS Gripen, the Version 20, which Sweden currently uses.
The agreement is also said to regulate the unused flight time and the effects of two previous incidents involving the Hungarian aircraft.
Hungary initiated a ten-year finance lease with the Swedish government on 14 JAS 39 Gripen in 2006.
The agreement, which also covers training and support, was renewed in 2012 and is valid until March 2026.
The Saab-built Gripen multirole fighter aircraft was designed to replace all variants of the Viggen and Draken combat aircraft.
The Gripen has seven external hardpoints for carrying payloads: one at each wingtip, two under each wing and one on the fuselage centreline.
The aircraft can be armed with air-to-air missiles such as MBDA MICA, Raytheon AIM-120B AMRAAM and Lockheed Martin / Raytheon Sidewinder AIM-9L.
Gripen's Ericsson PS-05 long-range multi-purpose pulse Doppler radar has air-to air operating modes covering long-range search, multi-target track-while-scan, multiple priority target tracking, air combat quick search modes, raid assessment and beyond visual range (BVR) missile mid-course updates.
Image: Hungarian Air Force Saab JAS-39C Gripen. Photo: courtesy of Chris Lofting.
