Gripen Fighter Jet Crashes in Hungary. Pilot Successfully Ejects

A JAS 39 Gripen fighter jet operated by the Hungarian Armed Forces crashed near the city of Szolnok.

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar reported the incident.

The cause of the fighter jet crash remains unknown.

The fighter jet’s pilot successfully ejected in time, and no one was injured in the incident. According to preliminary reports, no damage to civilian infrastructure was recorded at the crash site either.

A total of 18 JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets were in service with the Hungarian Air Force.

In 2001, Hungary signed a lease agreement with Sweden for 18 Gripen fighter jets. The lease expired this year, and ownership of the aircraft was transferred to the Hungarian Air Force.

Hungary operates a special version of the Gripen C/D called JAS 39C/D EBS HU (Export Baseline Standard Hungary). Its main difference is the use of Link 16, the standard NATO tactical data-link system, instead of Sweden’s TIDILS system.