Hungary has received the final two Saab Gripen C fighters ordered under a 2024 agreement with Sweden, completing the expansion of the country's combat aircraft fleet to 18 aircraft.
The two fighters arrived at Kecskemét Air Base on June 23, concluding deliveries covered by an amendment to the long-running Gripen agreement between the Hungarian Ministry of Defence and Sweden's Defence Materiel Administration (FMV).
With the latest deliveries, the Hungarian Air Force now operates 16 single-seat Gripen C fighters and two twin-seat Gripen D aircraft.
The additional aircraft were ordered in February 2024 through a contract amendment that added four Gripens to Hungary's existing fleet of 14 aircraft. The first two of the new fighters were delivered earlier this year.
Hungary first selected the Gripen in 2001 to replace its MiG-29 fighters. The aircraft entered operational service in 2006 and has since become the backbone of the country's air defense capability, including NATO air policing missions.
The expansion comes as Hungary transitions from leasing the aircraft to full ownership of the fleet. Under agreements signed with Sweden, Saab is expected to continue providing support and upgrades for the aircraft beyond 2035.
The Gripen fleet is operated by the Hungarian Air Force's 101st Aviation Wing at Kecskemét Air Base, which is responsible for protecting Hungarian airspace and contributing to NATO's collective defense missions.
Hungary became the second Central European nation after the Czech Republic to adopt the Gripen.
