In 2001, Hungary decided on a lease contract for 14 Gripen aircraft. The decision made Hungary one of the first NATO members to order an advanced, multi-role, latest generation fighter aircraft for national defence tasks as well as for NATO and EU missions.
In February 2003, MoD Hungary and the Swedish Defence Material Administration (FMV) amended the contract for 12 Gripen single-seaters and 2 Gripen two-seaters to include additional functionality of the aircraft and to include a purchase. The lease of the 14 aircraft will run for 10 years, after which ownership will be transferred to Hungary.
During 2005 and 2006, the first ten Hungarian pilots concluded their training. To date a total of 22 pilots have completed their training. The training of technicians/ground crews was completed in March 2007.
Operational and mission ready
The first five Gripen aircraft were delivered in March 2006. By the end of 2008, all 14 Hungarian Gripen fighters were declared operational and ready to be on NATO Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) duty from the Kecskemét air force base.
NATO interoperable
The Hungarian Gripen is a fully NATO interoperable multirole fighter. It provides the Hungarian Air Force (HUNAF) with capabilities that meet the strictest requirements for deployability, reliability and mission efficiency in the Net Centric Environment of the 21st Century.