The Gripens of the „Puma” squadron have participated on the Air Superiority 2018 training in Vidsel, located in the Northern part of Sweden. The 6 fighter aircraft and approximately 60 personnel deployed to Sweden on the 7 June 2018 for a two-week exercise. The exercise – that included live firing – was part of the Swedish-Hungarian military cooperation. During the exercise, the pilots had the opportunity to practice with weapons and carry out such combat manoeuvres that only be done here due to the size of the training area. The site is well known by the pilots and the ground crew as this was the 4th time that they conducted training at the Vidsel base. Previously they had the opportunity to train here in 2008, 2012 and in 2015.

The exercise – besides the training – gave an excellent opportunity to prepare the personnel for the upcoming Baltic Air Policing mission. Hungary – after 2015 – in 2019 for the 2nd time will be responsible for 4 months for the Baltic Air Policing as part of a NATO unit. The exercise is an excellent example of the good Swedish-Hungarian military cooperation.

The exercise and the soldiers executing the missions were visited by Brigadier General Albert Sáfár, the Air Chief of the Hungarian Defence Forces (HDF) Joint Forces Command, accompanied by Dr. Adrien Müller, the Ambassador of Hungary to Stockholm Brigadier General Nándor Kilián, the Defence Attaché of Hungary accredited to Sweden and Major Péter Molnár Assistant Defence Attaché of Hungary accredited to Sweden. Brigadier General Csaba Ugrik, the Commander of the HDF 59th “Szentgyörgyi Dezső” Air Base and the commander of the Vidsel base, Lieutenant Colonel Mats Hakkarainen, greeted the delegation.

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