The Hungarian Air Force could be bolstered with more Gripen aircraft in the medium term in addition to four JAS-39Cs.Continue reading
For the second week, the fighter pilots of the Szentgyörgyi Dezső 101st Airborne Brigade of the Hungarian Defense Forces are training in Kecskemét (central Hungary), reports Honvédelem.hu.
With the participation of the Defense Forces’ Kiss József 86th Helicopter Brigade, the main focus was on cooperation between the air force troops. Moreover, in the framework of the NATO Electronic Warfare Force Integration Program, the emphasis was on electronic warfare, especially jamming, in order to gain experience at a higher level and on a wider scale.
Photo via honvedelem.hu/Szováthy Kinga
Colonel Gergely Gróf, Brigade Commander of the Szentgyörgyi Dezső 101st Airborne Brigade of the Hungarian Defense Forces, said that he attaches great importance to the Beyond-Visual-Range (BVR) exercises.
The challenges facing the pilots are constantly increasing;
while on the first day they only have to clear enemy fighters from the airspace under the distraction of a Dassault Falcon 20, by the last day they have to simulate ground strikes on various targets heavily protected by the enemy.
Photo via honvedelem.hu/Szováthy Kinga
“They do all this with communications and radar jamming, while also having to be alert to the possibility of data being copied, which could mean that the target is not in the right place,” he noted.
Photo via honvedelem.hu/Szováthy Kinga
After the initial training exercise at the beginning of the year, the Hungarian Defense Forces’ fighter pilots will next have to perform in a similar way in May at the Lion Effort exercise in the Czech Republic, which will be attended by all countries using Gripen.
As Hungary Today previously reported, four more Gripens will soon join the Hungarian Air Force. In February, Sweden and the Hungarian state signed a contract for the procurement of four additional multirole fighters to the existing 14 JAS-39 Gripens. In addition to the fleet expansion, the parties also signed an agreement on cooperation after the lease expires in 2026. The logistical services provided by Sweden will be extended by ten years and cooperation on training will continue.
Via Honvédelem.hu; Featured image via Photo via honvedelem.hu/Szováthy Kinga