Hungary has taken delivery of two JAS 39 Gripen C supersonic combat aircraft from Saab under a contract signed in 2024.
The handover marked the first shipment for four platforms ordered under the effort, all to be stationed at the Kecskemét Air Base in Bács-Kiskun county, southern Hungary, for rapid response against airspace violations in the region.
The new jets will expand the Hungarian Air Force’s 14-plane Gripen fleet, which contributes to the Baltic Air Policing mission, a broader NATO deployment where Budapest has served as lead nation four times.
Hungary’s Gripens are operated by the 101st Aviation Wing, which previously flew Mikoyan MiG-29 fighters before transitioning to the Swedish-made system in 2008.
“For us, Gripen is more than an aircraft, more than a military technical device,” Hungarian Defence Chief of Staff Col. Gen. Gábor Böröndi remarked during the ceremony.
“For us, for the Hungarian soldiers, it is the guarantee of our sovereignty. Since then, we have not only maintained this capability, but we are also developing it.”
Saab’s JAS 39 Gripen
The Gripen aircraft has an overall length of up to 16 meters (52 feet), a wingspan of up to 9 meters (30 feet), and a seating capacity for up to two personnel, depending on its configuration.
The jet can carry up to 4,535 liters (1,198 gallons) of fuel, a payload capacity of 7,200 kilograms (15,873 pounds), and is fitted with an electronic warfare suite for sustained operability in denied environments.
It is powered by a General Electric F414 afterburning turbofan engine, supporting a maximum speed of Mach 2 (2,470 kilometers/1,535 miles per hour), a service ceiling of 16,000 meters (52,493 feet), and a range of 2,200 nautical miles (4,074 kilometers/2,532 miles).
The platform features a 27-millimeter revolver cannon, IRIS-T short-range infrared homing missiles, AIM-120 air-to-air missiles, AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missiles, Meteor active radar-guided missiles, Robotsystem fire-and-forget anti-ship missiles, and laser-guided bombs.
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