Izgleda da hoće da nabave još jednu eskadrilu gripena i razmišljaju da se pridruže razvoju lovca 6. generacije Tempest.
You can buy new Gripens Hungary, or something much better may come along.
Daniel Huszák
January 23, 2022
A significant technological leap is the Hungarian Gripens' MS20 Block 2 capability development package, and the fighter jets of the Hungarian Defence Forces air force will be at the forefront of the fourth generation of fixed-wing aircraft. Thanks to the upgrade, Hungarian aircraft will become compatible with a number of modern weapons systems, the purchase of new IRIS-T missiles is already under contract, but the purchase of GBU-49 bombs and METEOR long-range air-to-air missiles is also underway, Gáspár Maróth, government commissioner responsible for defence development, told Portfolio. In answer to our question, the expert also explained that the military plans include the creation of a new aircraft squadron in the Air Force of the Hungarian Defence Forces, but no decision has yet been made on this. They are also exploring the possibility of including Hungary in a sixth generation combat aircraft development project.
Sweden's SAAB recently announced that negotiations with the Hungarian government have concluded on the purchase of the MS20 Block 2 capability development package for the Hungarian Gripen fleet. This means that the fighter jets of the Hungarian Defence Forces will gain more modern communication and radar systems on the one hand, and compatibility with new types of weapons on the other.
Currently, according to the Military Technology blog, the Army's Gripens use AIM-9L air-to-air missiles, AIM-120-C5 missiles for out-of-sight targets, laser-guided GBU-12 bombs, Mk. 82 free-fall bombs and AGM-65 electro-optical self-guided missiles against ground targets.
Under the terms of the agreement, the Gripens will also be compatible with IRIS-T in-sight air-to-air missiles, GBU-49 bombs and METEOR long-range air-to-air missiles. In addition, the radar will be upgraded to PS-05/A Mk. 4, but a new NATO Mode 5 enemy identification (IFF) system will also be added, and their communication systems will be modernized with link16 (NATO Data link) functionality.
The secretariat of Gáspár Maróth, government commissioner for defence development, announced in December last year that an agreement had been reached on the purchase of the aforementioned IRIS-T air combat missiles with diehl, the German company that produces it. Portfolio asked him if the purchase of the other two advanced weapons systems, the GBU-49 bombs and meteor long-range missiles, was
In answer to our question, the Government Commissioner said:
THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS FOR THE NEW WEAPONS SYSTEMS HAS ALREADY BEEN APPROVED, BUT FINANCIAL COVER IS STILL BEING CREATED.
The novelty of the IRIS-T missiles is that with the help of its helmet target, the Gripen pilot can use them even under heavy overloads, which the AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles have not been able to do so far.
Gáspár Maróth confirmed that the purchase of helmet targets is also underway, and the government is currently in talks with Israel's Elbit Systems about the purchase of TARGO II targeting devices. He also said that discussions were also underway on participation in the development of the helmet targeting system.
Thanks to the current developments, the Gripens of the Hungarian Defence Forces will have a higher technological standard than most fourth-generation aircraft in the world, including the Gripen fleet of several countries. In their modernized state, the Hungarian Gripens will practically only be left behind by the lack of stealth design and some radar functions from a fifth generation fighter.
There may be new machines coming.
We also asked Gásva Maróth about the future of gripens and the air force of the Hungarian Defence Forces. The expert explained that the military plans include the creation of another combat squadron within the army, but no decision has been made yet.
IT IS THEREFORE CONCEIVABLE THAT NEW GRIPENS WILL BE PURCHASED, AS THE PURCHASE OF OTHER AIRCRAFT TYPES IN ADDITION TO THE EXISTING GRIPENS WOULD BE UNWISE DUE TO THE LOGISTICAL BURDEN AND INETROPERABILITY CHALLENGES THAT COME WITH IT.
As is known, the Hungarian Defence Forces currently use C/D Gripen fighters, the latest iteration of the family of fixed-winged aircraft is the E/F type, which the manufacturer sweden and Brazil have committed to so far.
According to experts, Hungary of the fifth generation fighter jets could only be considered the purchase of expensive U.S. F-35s, which in terms of price/value may not be the best choice for performing tasks for which the Hungarian Air Force uses fighter jets.
Gáspár Maróth emphasized that one of the reasons we are not buying a new fighter type now is because industry experts expect a technological leap by 2030-40. In the short term, therefore, if additional fighter jets are to be acquired, gripen seems to be a logical choice. In the meantime, however, it should also be taken into account that the purchase of fighter jets requires longer-term planning, so they closely monitor the emergence of newer technologies, which can change the viability of the current product range a lot.
The decision has been made: do we really have to say goodbye to the Hungarian Gripen fighters?
REGARDING THE NEXT STEP, THE EXPERT EXPLAINED THAT HUNGARY IS EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITY OF PARTICIPATING IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SIXTH GENERATION FIGHTER,
however, these projects are currently being monitored with the aim of understanding exactly what the development directions are and how the current system is an innovation.
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