Hungarian Gripens head to Baltics for a NATO mission – again!
Hungary will be the lead nation in NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission for the fourth time starting from 1 August, Ferenc Kajári, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, said on Wednesday.
Kajári told an event at the Kecskemét Air Base that Hungary will participate in the mission with 80 soldiers and four Gripen fighter jets, together with Spain and Italy. He added that air presence in NATO’s eastern flank was not only a military exercise but had a strategic message showing that members of the alliance bear responsibility for each other.
Hungary’s Gripens were not only protecting Hungary’s airspace but taking on a role for the region, he said, noting that they have also been protecting Slovenian airspace for over ten years, and since 2024, Slovakia and Croatia have also been under the Hungarian air force’s protection.
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