Economy 23 February 2024, 12:40pm

Orbán says Hungary will buy new Gripen fighter jets from Sweden

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Hungary will buy additional four JAS-39 Gripen fighter jets from Sweden, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced after receiving his Swedish counterpart Ulf Kristersson in Budapest on Friday. A knowledge centre will also be launched between the state defence innovation organisation and Saab. The Hungarian PM stressed that the new defence agreement was not a condition for the Hungarian parliament's approval of Sweden's accession to NATO.

"We have managed to clarify our mutual good intentions: the basic principle of politics is that you must always make friends. Even if it is not always obvious, this is always Hungary's goal", Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said at the beginning of the press conference.

It's a rare occasion that the Swedish Prime Minister comes to Hungary: in 1956 Stockholm was a rare friend who took in Hungarians who left after the revolution, who were not just given care but real help, Orbán said. He added that they [the Swedes] were with us during a difficult period in our history, just as they helped us to join the EU.

He said that trade had doubled compared to 2010 and is now close to €3 billion. We also have successful cooperation in the field of nuclear energy, with a Swedish contractor for the Paks II project.

However, Orbán noted that none of this was discussed today, but that they had agreed on defence cooperation, marking the end of a long series of negotiations that had been going on for several years.

He said that the Hungarian Defence Forces will buy four more Gripens from Swedish Saab.

This will enhance the international capabilities of the Hungarian Air Force. "Hungary is thus able to help its allies outside its own borders with its own assets", the Prime Minister added.

Later, in response to a journalist's question, Orbán explained that Hungary has only leased the Gripen aircraft [14 of them], so it does not own them, and that contract will expire soon [in 2026]. It has now been decided to maintain the Hungarian air defence capability and even expand it by purchasing new equipment.

He also announced that

in addition to the acquisition of the aircraft, an artificial intelligence-focused research centre will be set up with Saab, the manufacturer of Gripen fighter jets.

In addition, the contract for logistical services for defence equipment will be renewed and extended to military training.

According to the Prime Minister, they continued their discussion on EU affairs, focusing on the fact that Hungary will hold the rotating presidency of the EU from mid-summer.

The two countries have just signed a very important agreement to continue our cooperation on the Gripen fighter aircraft, and I am delighted that we are deepening this relationship,

said Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. He noted that the Gripen fighter jets are the pride of the country, and Hungary is taking advantage of them, as the Hungarian Air Force is involved in the defence of the Baltic airspace.

He said that there are already 180 Swedish companies operating in Hungary, and this number is constantly increasing.

"We do not agree with Hungary on everything, but we do agree that we must strengthen cooperation where we are on the same page", Kristersson said. He stressed that improving the EU's competitiveness and developing the internal market, as well as R&D, were also areas of common interest.

He thanked the Hungarian government for its support for Swedish accession to NATO.

Asked by journalists why Viktor Orbán and the Hungarian government had changed their position on ratification after two years, the Hungarian PM said that the essence of the NATO alliance is that we lay down our lives for each other, and for that we need trust.

He said that on the Hungarian side there had been only cautious, exploratory preparations, and that the old trust had been rebuilt, which had faded a little recently.

"It was not a question of changing our opinion, but of going through a process", Orbán added.

Orbán stressed that the four Gripen jets were not the price paid to hungary in exchange for the ratification of sweden's nato bid.

He said that defence cooperation between the two countries goes back a long way because of the Gripen fighter jets. According to the Prime Minister, this has also helped to build a relationship of trust, but it is not a business deal.

Ulf Kristersson said that sometimes it is slower in a military alliance to assess how to work with a newcomer, so he respects that the Hungarian government has taken a long time to do so. He also said that there are differences between the two countries on a number of issues, but they are working to strengthen ties where they agree.