Successful Hungarian Missile Trials with Gripen

The Hungarian Air Force has paid a visit to FMV’s test site in Vidsel and has carried out a number of trials with the Sidewinder air-to-air missile for the JAS 39 Gripen.

It was PUMA Squadron from the Kecskemét Air Base which flew into Vidsel with six Gripen aircraft during Week 24. The purpose of the week’s visit was to verify the Sidewinder missile system, known as Robot 74 in Sweden, for the Hungarian version of the Gripen.

Trials, which involved firings carried out against manoeuvrable towed targets, took place during two aircraft runs with four planned missile firings on each run.

“The trials results were very successful. Together with the customer we carried out two aircraft runs with a total of six Sidewinder firings in a single afternoon. This is something we have never achieved before,” says test site director Laci Bonivart.

Hungary is the third European country, after Sweden and the Czech Republic, and the second NATO country to operate Gripen. The Hungarian Air Force operates the latest versions of the JAS 39 Gripen system, versions C and D.

The original leasing agreement with Hungary was signed in December 2001 and covered the leasing of 14 Gripen aircraft, version A/B. In February 2003 a supplementary agreement was signed which meant that Hungary, on the expiry of the leasing period (2006-2016), would have bought the aircraft.

The supplementary agreement also entailed changing the aircraft to the C/D version. FMV delivered the first Gripen aircraft to Hungary in March 2006 and delivery of the final aircraft took place in December 2007.