Saab AB, Hungarian Air Force Gripen fighters have been deployed to Italy to take part in NATO exercises. Assets and personnel of the Hungarian Defense Forces’ Joint Force Command, the 59th Szentgyörgyi Dezső Air Base and the 54th Veszprém Air Surveillance and Control Regiment are taking part in ‘EXERCISE SPRING FLAG 07’, a multi-national NATO exercise on the island of Sardinia, Italy between 7 and 25 May.
According to the plans of the Operational Command of the Italian Air Force (COFA), the exercise is being conducted in the vicinity of the Decimomannu and Alghero air bases and other designated airspaces of Italy.
Seven nations (Italy, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Turkey and Hungary) are taking part in the exercise, with 1042 airmen and 68 aircraft (Gripen, Eurofighter, Tornado, AMX, F–4, F–16, AV–8B, E–3 AWACS and helicopters).
The Hungarian Air Force is participating with two JAS–39C and two JAS–39D Gripen fighters, pilots and ground personnel (controllers, technicians, staff officers, doctors) – a total of 35 people.
The purpose of the exercise is to train the Italian and other participating nations’ air force units and staff in a medium-size air operation in an operational zone far from their home bases. Due to the fact that this exercise sees the debut of the Hungarian Gripen fighters in an international environment, two pilots and one engineering officer from the Swedish Support Group, based at Kecskemét, Hungary, also accompanied the Hungarian forces.
The Hungarian forces departed for their assigned operational bases with three AN-26s on 10 and 11 May, and began their preparation for conducting air operations deployed at foreign bases.
During the two weeks of the exercise, the Hungarian Gripen aircraft will fly twice a day in practice air-defense tasks and partake in the “enemy force” formation. Missions are conducted in the morning and in the afternoon during the first week and in the afternoon and at night during the second week. Pilots flying the Gripen are using the PE 39 C/D flying task-planning system to compile the parameters (air space, route, targets, radio frequencies) of the missions.
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