Hungarian Gripens on Arctic LFX

For the first time this year, modern-day Hungarian fighter pilots fired autocannons at aerial targets and the young members of the Gripen program launched air-to-air missiles. Some of them fly the Swedish-made Gripens as their very first combat aircraft type.

On March 16, the 40 airmen executing the live fire exercise took off to fly to the aerodrome of the largest inland firing range in the European Union by five single-seat Gripen C versions, two two-seat Gripen D versions and the An-26 transport aircraft with the ground crew aboard. The flight over a distance of some 3000 kilometers was practical and cost-saving. The pilots were allowed to transport the seven Sidewinder missiles to be used at the LFX as weapon loads on the Gripens in a safe condition, as the Slovak, Polish and Swedish authorities gave the clearance for transit, setting an example of a true NATO ally’s attitude. This enabled the Hungarians to save an An-26 flight to Vidsel that could have cost several million HUF.

On Sunday the Hungarian pilots were planning the mission schedule for the first half of the next week together with their hosts, while the ground crews were preparing the aircraft. On Monday they had to postpone the missile firing campaing due to flurries of snow, but the fighters were able to take off successfully to carry out air gunnery with the onboard autocannon. After a practice of two-seat fighters without autocannon, the single-seat combat aircraft took their turn. The pilots attacked the towed target alternately, turning from left and right, firing bursts of 15 rounds at it each. It was Lt.-Col. István Asztalos, the commander of the Kecskemét-based Puma Squadron who executed the first air gunnery. The after action review revealed that the Hungarian pilots’ attacks included several ones with 12 or 15 shells in a single burst passing the towed target within measurable distances; moreover, some shells did pierce the target.

On Tuesday morning, in icy cold but brilliant sunshine, the AIM-9L/I-1 Sidewinder missiles were fitted onto the external portside wingtip missile launchers of the four fighters which were designated to fly the missions. The pilots launched altogether eight missiles in two rounds. All the missiles passed the target within the effective range of their proximity fuse (which means they would have destroyed a real aircraft if it had been present there). During the first round Maj. András Beke, one of the first pilots to open fire (with Brig.-Gen. Nándor Kilián, Base Commander in the rear seat) hit the target with a complete kill, demonstrating the capability of these weapons by a spectacular explosion.