Air Force (Federal Army)

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Air Force

Lineup 1955
Country AustriaAustria Austria
Armed forces Federal Army
Branch of service Air Force
structure Armed Forces Command
  • Air surveillance
    • Radar Battalion
    • Surveillance squadron
    • Anti-aircraft battalions 2 and 3
    • Technical and logistic center
    • Operations staff
    • Fliegerwerft 2
  • Air support
    • Air Support Squadron
    • Fliegerwerft 1 and 3
    • Aviation technological logistics center
Strength approx. 4,300 men
Armed Forces Command Salzburg
insignia
Aircraft cockade Roundel of Austria.svg

The Austrian air force is part of the federal army . They have 4,300 men, about three quarters of whom are conscripts .

tasks

According to a self-portrayal of the Armed Forces, the Austrian air forces secure “the Austrian airspace and support the land forces with helicopters, transport and liaison aircraft. To maintain air sovereignty, they locate and identify invading aircraft. If necessary, they push them away or force them to land. Fixed and mobile radar systems serve as passive components of air surveillance. "

history

The military aviation in Austria goes back to the kuk aviation troops in Austria-Hungary . After the First World War , the Trianon Treaty stipulated that Austria was not allowed to have an air force. Nevertheless, the Heimwehr Air Corps was secretly founded in 1927 . The armed forces also began training pilots in 1928. The first combat aircraft (5 Fiat CR.20 biplanes) were delivered from Italy in 1933. Further aircraft from Italian production followed. The aviation associations were stationed in Vienna-Aspern and Graz-Thalerhof . The emblem of the air force, which is still used today, was introduced in 1936. At the time of the Anschluss in March 1938, the Luftwaffe consisted of two pilot regiments with 36 Fiat CR.32 fighters , a few bombers and various reconnaissance and training aircraft.

Today's Austrian Air Force was founded in 1955 as part of the re-establishment of the Austrian Armed Forces. The first aircraft were eight training aircraft of the types Jak-18 (4) and Jak-11 (4) donated by the Soviet Union . In February 1956 the first Austrian helicopter, a Bell 47G (H-13) was procured. De Havilland DH.100 Vampires were acquired as the first jet-propelled model in 1957 . In 1959 the French jet trainer Fouga Magister followed . In the years 1960 to 1962, 30 used Saab 29 Tunnans , also known as "Flying Tons", were delivered to Austria in two lots of 15 machines each. In 1972 the Saab J-29F "Tunnan" were retired and 40 Saab 105OE aircraft took over their duties.

As for the helicopters , the originally procured Alouette II and Sikorsky S-55 models were gradually replaced by the more modern Agusta / Bell AB.204B and from 1967 by the Alouette III , some of which are still in active service today. In 1970 eleven AB 206 "JetRanger" machines and two Sikorsky S-65 Oe were procured. Twelve attack helicopters of the type Bell OH-58 Kiowa followed in 1976. When it became clear with the avalanche disaster in Galtür in 1999 that insufficient helicopter transport capacities were available, nine Sikorsky S-70A-42 "Black Hawk" transport helicopters were acquired.

As early as 1960, six De Havilland Canada DHC-2 "Beaver" aircraft were put into service for transport tasks. In 1969 two Short Skyvan 3M followed. The Beaver were later replaced by twelve Pilatus PC-6 "Turbo-Porter" machines. In 2003, three C-130 Hercules (used C-130K) transport aircraft were acquired by the Royal Air Force .

Saab 35 Draken

From 1988 Saab 35Oe "Draken" were used for air surveillance. In 1991, during the civil war in Yugoslavia, in the summer of 1991, Yugoslav aircraft of the type MiG-21 penetrated into Austrian airspace, but there were no encounters with Austrian aircraft. Due to the military and aviation regulations of the State Treaty of Vienna 1955 , the Austrian aircraft might not have been armed enough to intervene effectively. By declaring the Republic of Austria to the other signatory powers, the article was declared obsolete and recognized under international law as a result of the inactivity of the signatory powers. Since then, the air force has also had guided missiles . The question of the procurement of new machines was discussed long and controversially in the Austrian public.

Eurofighter Typhoon

In 2002, the then government under Federal Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel decided to purchase the Eurofighter Typhoon . The Draken, which were retired in 2005, were replaced by F-5 E Tigers rented from Switzerland as a temporary solution until the Eurofighters arrived.

Erich Wolf , who has been in command of the Austrian Air Force (Airchief) since December 6, 2002, was suspended from his position on April 10, 2007 because of his involvement in a possible bribery affair in connection with the purchase of the Eurofighter.

In December 2008, the General Staff made public considerations to buy up to 20 Aero L-159 subsonic fighter aircraft from the Czech Armed Forces to replace the 40-year-old Saab 105 OE training aircraft , which ultimately did not take place. However, since 2018 the air force has had four Diamond DA 40 NG trainer aircraft .

structure

Below the BMLVS, an air unit is established in the armed forces command . The air section is stationed in Salzburg and provides two air liaison officers to the armed forces command station stationed in Graz.

The airspace surveillance command “Kdo LRÜ” (with the rank of a brigade under the armed forces command ) is stationed in Salzburg. The task of this command is to manage the passive (airspace observation) and active means (airspace surveillance aircraft and ground-based air defense) as well as the pilot control elements for airspace surveillance and security. The following are subordinate to the Kdo LRÜ:

  • Radar Battalion (RadB)
  • Technical and logistic center for radar technology
  • Surveillance squadron in Zeltweg (Eurofighter "Typhoon" and Saab 105Ö)
  • 2 anti-aircraft battalions (FlAB 2 in Zeltweg and FlAB 3 in Salzburg)
  • Fliegerwerft in Zeltweg

The air support command "Kdo LuU" (with the rank of a brigade under the armed forces command ) is stationed in Hörsching . The task of this command is to lead the areas of air transport (area and HS) and air reconnaissance and to provide the aircraft connection elements for all emergency services. The Kdo LuU reports:

  • Flight operations company (maintenance of operability by flight control, fire brigade, field management, the runway at HÖRSCHING Airport)
  • two light transport helicopter squadrons (lTHSSta) with Agusta-Bell AB-212 in Linz (tactical air transport)
  • an air transport squadron (LuTSta) with Lockheed C-130K "Hercules" in Linz (strategic / operational air transport)
  • a liaison helicopter squadron (VeHSSta) with Sud Aviation SA-316B "Alouette III" in Aigen / Ennstal (connection, transport)
  • two aircraft yards in Hörsching and Langenlebarn
  • an air cargo handling unit (LTU)

which are led immediately, as well as that

  • Air support squadron (LuÜGeschw) in Langenlebarn with
    • a medium transport helicopter squadron (mTHSSta) with Sikorsky S-70A-42 "Black Hawk" in Langenlebarn (tactical air transport)
    • a multi-purpose helicopter squadron (MzHSSt) with Bell OH-58B "Kiowa" in Langenlebarn (connection, reconnaissance, fire support)
    • a light air transport squadron (lLuTSta) with Pilatus PC-6 in Langenlebarn (connection, reconnaissance, transport)
    • an aerial reconnaissance squadron (Lu AufklSta) in Langenlebarn (based on Pilatus PC-6 "Turbo-Porter" and Bell OH-58B "Kiowa". Equipment with drones is planned.)

The air force and anti-aircraft troop school "FlFlATS" (as a troop school under the BMLVS with an attached science or research department under the command of a general staff officer) in Langenlebarn, which is responsible for the entire training for the personnel required at Kdo LRÜ and Kdo LuU. From the pilots to air, anti-aircraft and radar technology to air traffic control and radar control personnel, everything is trained there that is needed in terms of personnel for the army's air elements. This school reports to:

  • a helicopter training department with Sud Aviation SA-316B "Alouette III" "in Langenlebarn
  • an area teaching department with Pilatus PC-7 "Turbo-Trainer" in Zeltweg

Tactical marking

The labeling of military aircraft in Austria is based on the ordinance of the Federal Minister for National Defense on the labeling and airworthiness of military aircraft and the operational reliability of military aircraft (Military Aircraft and Military Aviation Equipment Ordinance 2008 - MLFGV 2008) . In this ordinance, section 2, §2 (3) stipulates:

"Military aircraft are to be entered under the service designation in the military aircraft register, which is to be kept in the enforcement area of ​​the Federal Minister for National Defense. The service designation basically has to consist of several Latin letters or several Arabic numerals or a combination of these, in the case of parachutes, however, an appropriate combination of the type designation and the serial number. "

With the Eurofighters , the Eurofighter 7L-WA code is formed as follows:

7L - WA (hyphen is a placeholder for the national badge)

7 = Stands for the weight class (from 18001 to 36000 kg)

L = intended use (in this case L stands for airspace surveillance)

W = code letter for type (W was defined for Eurofighter)

A = identification for the machine (A = 1st machine; B = 2nd machine; goes to O with the ÖBH because it has 15 EFT)

Aircraft

The Austrian Armed Forces owns around 140 aircraft in total.

Fixed wing aircraft

template image Period of service from ... … to Ex. Total Ex. Current use
Eurofighter EF 2000 Eurofighter Typhoon 2007 today 15th 15th Air surveillance
Lockheed C130K Lockheed C130K 2003 today 4th 4th Transport of people and freight

On December 10, 2015, a fourth C-130 was purchased from RAF stocks. However, this will not be transferred to flight operations, but will serve as a spare part donor and for training technical staff.

Saab 105 OE Saab 105OE (25654983410) .jpg 1970 today 40 28 Pilot training, air surveillance, VIP transport, air-to-ground attacks, reconnaissance
Pilatus PC-7 Pilatus PC-7 "Turbo Trainer" (25955576135) .jpg 1983 today 16 12 Pilot training, air-to-ground attacks, air surveillance
Pilatus PC-6 Pilatus PC-6 1970 today 13 8th Liaison and transport tasks, fire fighting flights, surveying, transport of the wounded; 5 machines mothballed
Diamond DA-40 NG
Diamond DA40 (8736510450) .jpg
 2018 today 4th 4th Trainer aircraft

helicopter

template image Period of service from ... … to Ex. Total Ex. Current use
Aérospatiale SA-319 Alouette III Aérospatiale SA-319 1967 today 28 22nd light transport and connection tasks
Bell OH-58 Kiowa In low flight (19897149639) .jpg 1976 today 12 10 Enlightenment, liaison tasks
Agusta Bell AB212 ( Bell UH-1 N "Twin Huey" from an Italian license) Agusta Bell 212 (22335571991) .jpg 1980 today 24 23 medium multipurpose tasks
Sikorsky UH-60L Black Hawk Black Hawk (26875663882) .jpg 2002 today 9 9 Multipurpose tasks, 3 UH-60M 2018 reordered.

Former aircraft of the Austrian Air Force

The following gallery shows some selected types of aircraft that were used by the Austrian Air Force in the past.

bases

Military airfields - air bases

Further bases

Former bases

Crashes

(Legend: Lfz = aircraft, S.No. = serial number )

  • August 9, 1963: Lfz "K" (Saab J29) over Sankt Georgen an der Leys (Lower Austria), Sergeant Hermann Jellinek was killed.
  • October 5, 1971: Lfz RA-21 (Saab 105; S.Nr.:105421) over Pusterwald (Styria), no injuries.
  • January 9, 1973: Lfz GH-18 (Saab 105; S.Nr.:105418) over Hörsching (Upper Austria), Captain Leopold Hoffmann and First Lieutenant Hans Georg Hartl were killed.
  • May 7, 1975: Lfz YC-03 (Saab 105; S.Nr.:105403) over Reichshalm / Waldviertel (Lower Austria), Captain Bilfried Burghard landed with the parachute in the Kamptal reservoir and suffered hypothermia and injuries to the vertebrae.
  • December 1, 1976: Lfz GE-15 (Saab 105; S.Nr.:105415) via Kraubath an der Mur (Styria), Major Alfred Fohn was killed.
  • May 14, 1977: Lfz GC-13 (Saab 105; S.Nr.:105413) over Hörsching (Upper Austria), Captain Johann Gölzner was killed.
  • October 11, 1977: Lfz BH-38 (Saab 105; S.Nr.:105438) over Kleinlobming (Styria), Captain Siegfried Rumpler was killed.
  • August 6, 1981: Lfz GI-19 (Saab 105; S.Nr.:105419) over Grub (Wienerwald community) (Lower Austria), Major Alois Strahner and Lieutenant Gerhard Wiesinger were killed, 4 people on the ground suffered severe burns.
  • October 16, 1981: Lfz YH-08 (Saab 105; S.Nr.:105408) over Windischgarsten (Upper Austria), Lieutenant Roman Kaltenegger was killed.
  • August 18, 1983: Lfz 3A-CT (Cessna L-19; S.Nr.:22712) over Irdning , (Styria), Lieutenant Gordon Kamitz and Lieutenant Franz Ettlinger perished.
  • June 27, 1984: Lfz 3G-EI (Pilatus PC-6; S.Nr.:774) over Ebenthal (Carinthia), the pilot, Captain Josef Pichler and six paratroopers were killed.
  • April 6, 1988: Lfz GJ-20 (Saab 105; S.Nr.:105420) over Eggelsberg (Upper Austria), Lieutenant Colonel Otto Laimgruber was killed.
  • September 13, 1991: Lfz YF-06 (Saab 105; S.Nr.:105406) ​​via Micheldorf in Upper Austria , Lieutenant Martin Nagele and Sergeant Hans-Peter Tschuchnik were killed.
  • March 3, 1995: Lfz YA-01 (Saab 105; S.Nr.:105401) over Innerkrems (Carinthia), ensign Johann Plank and sergeant Manfred Fler were killed.
  • July 1, 1998: Lfz 3E-LB (Alouette III; S.Nr.:1501) above the Niedergailer Alm , Lesachtal municipality ( Carinthia ), Major Gerhard Melser perished.
  • March 20, 2000: Lfz 5D-HA (Bell AB212; S.Nr.:5597) via Kirchdorf an der Krems (Upper Austria), Lieutenant Martin Oswald, Deputy Lieutenant Engelbert Buchner and platoon leader Markus Falzberger were killed.
  • April 17, 2003: Lfz GA-11 (Saab 105; S.Nr.:105411) over military training area Allentsteig (Lower Austria), Lieutenant Thomas Ploder suffered knee injuries and a fractured vertebra while exiting the ejector seat.
  • June 17, 2014: Lfz (Bell OH-58 Kiowa; S.Nr.:42241) crashes during the military exercise "Protection 2014" at the Lizum-Walchen military training area. One NCO (33) was killed, the pilot (28) and another crew member (35) were seriously injured.

literature

  • Friedrich W. Korkisch: The Air Force of the Republic of Austria 1955 to 2005. From the irrelevant weapon branch to the armed forces: From the point of view of the upper command . In: Wolfgang Etschmann , Hubert Speckner (ed.): For the protection of the Republic of Austria (= writings on the history of the Austrian Armed Forces ). Gra & Wis, Vienna 2005, ISBN 3-902455-03-9 , p. 281 ff.
  • Wolfgang Hainzl: The air forces of Austria 1955 until today . 3. Edition. Weishaupt Verlag, Graz 2000, ISBN 3-7059-0031-5 .

Web links

Commons : Austrian Air Force  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ bmlv.gv.at
  2. ↑ Article 128
  3. ↑ flug-revue.rotor.com ( Memento from November 21, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ^ Rudolf Höfling: Austria's first fighter jets. A vampire story. In: Fliegerrevue X No. 49, 2014, pp. 92-109
  5. ↑ derstandard.at
  6. ^ Die Presse (December 15, 2008): The Federal Army wants to buy Czech combat aircraft
  7. ↑ BMLVS - Communication Department - Section 3: New training aircraft and fire engines handed over to the troops . In: bundesheer.at . ( bundesheer.at [accessed on May 3, 2018]).
  8. ↑ RIS - Military Aircraft and Military Aviation Equipment Ordinance 2008 - Consolidated Federal Law, version dated May 15, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2020 .
  9. ↑ BMLVS - Communication Department - Section 3: New training aircraft and fire engines handed over to the troops . In: bundesheer.at . ( bundesheer.at [accessed on May 3, 2018]).
  10. ^ RTV regional television. Retrieved December 9, 2018 .
  11. ^ Government decides to buy 15 army helicopters - derStandard.at. Retrieved September 19, 2018 .
  12. ↑ doppeladler.com