Hungarian air force Gripen fighter jet crashes near Szolnok
The pilot managed to eject, and no one was injured. The circumstances of the accident are being investigated and the defence minister travelled to the site.
A Hungarian military pilot safely ejected from his fighter jet after it crashed on Monday, according to Prime Minister Péter Magyar. The Swedish-made JAS 39 Gripen plummeted near Szolnok, a city in central Hungary, due to reasons that remain unknown at this time, stated Magyar on his Facebook post. An investigation into the incident is currently underway, with Minister of Defense Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi en route to the scene.
Ruszin-Szendi confirmed that the pilot was "alive and unharmed" following the crash. He revealed that the pilot had taken all necessary precautions to ensure the aircraft landed on military property. Mayor Mihály Győrfi of Szolnok disclosed to local media that the pilot was likely conducting routine training at the helicopter base just outside the city.
He added that there were no known injuries resulting from the crash. Hungary maintains a fleet of 18 JAS 39 Gripen fighters, with 14 of them acquired through a lease-purchase program initiated in 2001 and four others ordered in 2024 and added to the fleet this year.
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