The deal was reportedly signed last month on behalf of the defense ministries by Air Forces commanders.Continue reading
A historic agreement has been reached with the Swedish Defense Minister on the joint upgrade of Gripen fighter jets, Hungarian Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky announced in a video posted on Facebook.
The Hungarian Defense Minister said: “Our Gripen is the iconic multirole combat aircraft of the Hungarian Air Force, which comes from Sweden and is a decisive force for the Hungarian Defense Forces.
Today, we had talks with the Swedish Defense Minister in Stockholm and signed a historic agreement to work together on the upgrade of the Gripen jets and a number of other important bilateral issues.”
The Minister stressed that Swedish-Hungarian relations have reached a strategic level, especially since Sweden’s accession to NATO.
“We agree on important issues, but we differ on some very important issues. Hungary is on the side of peace in Ukraine,” said Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, stressing that the only solution is diplomacy, not the continuation of the war, but a ceasefire and peace talks. “There are differences, we have different opinions, but nevertheless we have had a valuable and frank discussion.”
As the Swedish Government Office website reports, Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson received Mr. Szalay-Bobrovniczky in Sweden on Wednesday. The discussion focused on defense equipment cooperation that included the above mentioned Gripen upgrade.
This is the result of earlier talks in Budapest in February, where ministers signed the deal on Hungary’s purchase of four Gripen aircraft.
According to the portal covering Swedish government affairs, during the stay in Sweden, the Hungarian delegation also visited the Swedish defense company Saab in Linköping. The Gripen jets, also used by the Hungarian Air Force, are manufactured by a consortium of Saab, Ericsson, Volvo, and Celsius Aerotech.
High availability. The Gripen fighter system makes it possible to operate from dispersed airbases, with minimal resources and sustain for a long time. See more here: https://t.co/FmzPodpz4p pic.twitter.com/PtewaLf2LC
— Saab (@Saab) October 15, 2024
Via MTI, regeringen.se; Featured image: Honvedelem.hu