Defence

Maiden flight for Hungarian Air Force Gripen

Flight International online news 11:30GMT: The maiden flight of the first Hungarian dual-seat Gripen aircraft took place yesterday at Saab in Linkoping Sweden.




These aircraft are the latest standard of the Gripen and are equipped with full-colour cockpit displays, a retractable air-to-air refueling probe and are fully NATO-interoperable.

Following this maiden flight, the aircraft now enters a period of ground and flight-testing to verify that all systems are operating in accordance with the Hungarian Gripen configuration plan.

This is the first of two Gripen dual seat aircraft, together with 12 Gripen single-seat aircraft, that Hungary will lease for a period of 10 years before taking ownwership of the aircraft under the terms of an agreement signed between Swedish and Hunagrian authorities in February 2003.

Deliveries of the 14 Gripen aircraft to Hungary will take place between March 2006 and December 2007.

Hungarian pilots and technicans started training in Sweden with the Swedish Air Force at the begining of this year and are scheduled to return to Hungary ahead of the first Gripen deliveries.

Hungary will be the second NATO country to operate the latest Gripen fighter but will be the first NATO operator to equip the latest versions of the Gripen aircraft for an air-to-surface role.

ROSS BENTLEY/LONDON