INTELLIGENCE SERVICES OF THE AUSTRIAN ARMED FORCES
The Second Republic’s military intelligence started out as the MoD’s Intelligence Directorate, which in 1972 became the Strategic Intelligence Agency tasked with external military intelligence as well as counterintelligence. Counterintelligence tasks were taken out of its remit in 1984 and have since been performed by the newly created Armed Forces Security Agency.
STRATEGIC INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
The Strategic Intelligence Agency is in charge of external strategic intelligence. Its staff gather and analyse information about regions, countries, and organisations relevant to Austrian and European security, turning that information into reports and presentations.
ARMED FORCES SECURITY AGENCY
The Armed Forces Security Agency defends against threats to military security. It gathers information about intentions and activities feared to entail deliberate attacks against the life and health of individuals, against infrastructure, or against classified military information and presents that information to political and military leaders.
CONTROL OVER INTELLIGENCE SERVICES
The intelligence services of the Austrian Armed Forces operate outside public attention but by no means outside democratic control. Besides the general as well as subject-specific supervision afforded by the MoD, the activities of the intelligence services are overseen by an independent legal protection commissioner, the parliamentary defence committee’s permanent subcommittee, and further official oversight bodies.
CONTACT
e-Mail: h100@bmlv.gv.at