NATO Scrambles 2 Hungarian Gripens to Escort Israeli Airbus A321 After Radio Loss
Updated
Updated · news.inbox.eu · Jun 12
NATO Scrambles 2 Hungarian Gripens to Escort Israeli Airbus A321 After Radio Loss
3 articles · Updated · news.inbox.eu · Jun 12
Summary
Two Hungarian JAS-39 Gripens were launched at NATO’s highest readiness level after an Israeli Airbus A321 flying Tel Aviv-to-Prague stopped responding to air traffic control.
Hungarian military pilots made visual contact with the jet, helped restore radio communication with Hungarian controllers, and then escorted it under NATO procedures to the edge of Hungarian airspace.
After 20:10, the Airbus left Hungary for Austria, while both fighters returned safely to Kecskemét airbase; no passengers or crew were harmed.
Peter Szijjarto said the incident showed the effectiveness of Hungary’s air force and NATO’s integrated air-defense system, with such scrambles treated as standard protection when civilian aircraft lose contact.