Österreichs Bundesheer

Gerald Klug is Austria's new Minister of Defence and Sports and thus head of the Austrian Armed Forces. On 11 March he was inaugurated by Federal President Heinz Fischer. On the same day, his predecessor, Norbert Darabos, handed over the ministry as Austria's military leaders welcomed Klug in the Rossau Barracks of ...  Read more

In a referendum on 20 January, Austrians voted to retain compulsory military service. Nearly 60% voted to keep the draft, 40% favoured a professionalization of the forces. Six Month Service After beeing screened and found fit, Austrian male citizens must serve six months in the army or nine months in ...  Read more

Two Austrian peacekeeping soldiers wounded in a crossfire near Damascus, Syria, have returned home safely. They were flown to Linz-Hörsching by an Austrian Armed Forces' C-130 "Hercules". Their condition is described as not life-threatening. On Their Way to Austria Together with other ...  Read more

Nearly 500 soldiers of the Austrian Armed Forces are helping to clean up several small communities around Liezen, province of Styria. Triggered by days of heavy rain, landslides and floods have wreaked havoc in the region. Mudslides have damaged buildings and blocked the roads, forcing the Army to deploy helicopters as ...  Read more

From 4 to 18 July 2012, Portugal hosts "Hot Blade 2012", a multinational helicopter exercise. The training is based at Ovar Military Airfield, near Porto and is part of the European Defence Agency's Helicopter Training Program. The Austrian Armed Forces are contributing by sending 45 soldiers and six Agusta ...  Read more

On Monday, the Austrian Armed Forces began their annual "Amadeus" Air Force training. The two week long exercise involves some 2,300 soldiers and a wide variety of aircraft. Thus, making it this year's biggest training effort. Multinational Environment "Amadeus 2012" is based on a ...  Read more

During the night between 4 and 5 February, EUFOR was requested by Bosnian authorities to conduct an air rescue operation in the area of Kalinovik. There, a family of four (three adults and one child) had become cut off from civilization by heavy snowfall. Search and Rescue Operation On Monday, a search ...  Read more

The Austrian Armed Forces have deployed 160 peacekeeping troops to Lebanon. Their task is to help with supplying logisitics for the United Nations' UNIFIL mission in the country. The Austrian personnel are stationed in Naqoura, in southwest Lebanon, near the Israeli border. Fully Operational The ...  Read more

More than 290,000 fans visited the AirPower11, bringing Austria’s air show to a new attendance record. The show was also a success for the region, which profited by 60,000 additional overnight stays, and a regional additional value of 15 million Euros. Spotters Took One Million Photos Approximately ...  Read more

Between 24 May and 12 June, Austrian Air Force helicopter crews take part in the exercise "Italian Call 2011". The exercise takes place at Viterbo, north of Rome, and is part of the European Defence Agency's helicopter training programme. Successful Exercise The aim of the exercise is to train ...  Read more

Minister of Defence and Sports Norbert Darabos has announced a reduction of the Austrian Armed Forces' fleet of armoured vehicles by more than 50 percent. About 1,000 Items of Equipment More than 500 armoured vehicles will be decommissioned, including all "Kürassier" light tanks, all ...  Read more

On Thursday, the Austrian Armed Forces presented two of the recently ordered IVECO "Light Multirole Vehicles", along with new JCB backhoe loaders. Support During Disaster Relief Missions The 8.5 ton JCB Sitemaster Servo 4CX backhoe loaders will be used by Army engineers to remove the remains of ...  Read more

Major General Bernhard Bair of the Austrian Armed Forces has taken over command of the EU military mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Bair succeeds Italian Major General Stefano Castagnotto and will hold his new post for the period of one year. High Reputation for Excellent Work "The appointment of an ...  Read more

During the meetings of NATO's Defence Ministers held in Bratislava, Slovakia, from Thursday 22 to Friday 23 October, the Austrian Armed Forces' Eurofighters were significantly involved in the air policing operation "Bratislava09". Protection Against Air Threats For the duration of the talks, ...  Read more

From 26th to 27th June 2009, participants from 19 different nations helped transform the military air base in Zeltweg, Styria, into the most thrilling airfield in the world: Highlights such as the first official appearance of the Austrian Eurofighters - including a demonstration of an interception -, the breathtaking ...  Read more

From 4th to 15th May 2009 potential leaders of the UN peacekeeping missions met in Vienna to attend the United Nation's "Senior Mission Leaders Course". This high-level training course was organised by the United Nation's Department of Peacekeeping Operations in collaboration with the Austrian Ministry of ...  Read more

With the procurement of 150 protected multipurpose vehicles and the modernization of the aviation radio system, the Austrian Armed Forces plan to increase the protection of its troops at home and abroad, as well as the security of the domestic air traffic. Protected Multipurpose Vehicles The "Light ...  Read more

In November, the "Standby High Readiness Brigade for United Nations Operations" (SHIRBRIG) participated in an exercise at the International Mines Action Training Centre in Nairobi, Kenya, in support of the "Eastern Africa Standby Brigade". Regional Security Force The purpose of the ...  Read more

On Monday Austria handed back its twelve F-5 "Tiger" interceptor planes to the Swiss Air Force. Since July 2004, the Austrian Armed Forces had been leasing the planes to bridge the gap between the retirement of the ageing Saab Drakens and the new Eurofighter jets that Austria is currently receiving. ...  Read more

The Austrian Armed Forces deployed a total of 160 soldiers to the Republic of Chad. The soldiers are part of the European Union's EUFOR mission to protect refugees from the war-torn Sudanese region of Darfur. The contingent comprises special operations forces, medical personnel, and logistic personnel, as well as staff ...  Read more