The focus: This is how Austria wants to strengthen its airspace monitoring!

The focus: This is how Austria wants to strengthen its airspace monitoring!

In the aviation history of Austria, there were recently important celebrations for the honor of the Eurofighter, monetary and politically charged. Numerous guests of honor, including Defense Minister Claudia Tanner (ÖVP) and representative of Eurofighter GmbH, gathered to celebrate the Eurofighter, who landed on July 12, 2007 at the Hinterstoisser air base. The federal government originally planned the purchase of 24 interceptors as a replacement for the aging Saab Draken, but the number was greatly reduced after the flood disaster on the Danube in 2002. According to Jorge Tamarint Degenhardt, Managing Director of Eurofighter GmbH, the Eurofighter have now completed 20,000 flight hours without an accident, which underlines the reliability of the system, as was reported.

planned upgrade and future procurements

The Federal Army announced that the Eurofighter will be equipped with an infrared system by 2027 to enable nightly missions, which should significantly improve air surveillance in the dark. Defense Minister Tanner also confirmed the plans for the procurement of 36 new superior fighter aircraft to ensure effective airspace monitoring, such as Kurier.at reported. These measures are particularly important in the geopolitical tense times, which are essential for national security.

The planned investments, which are estimated with a total of 1.6 billion euros, are criticized. The green military spokesman David Stögmüller expressed concerns about the sustainability of these investments, since the Eurofighter will be considered outdated in the near future. Tanner confirmed that the Eurofighter will arrive at the end of his lifespan in the coming decade, which reinforces the need for decisions about reimbursement. In this context, reference was made to the alarm starts of the Eurofighter, which were necessary a total of 15 times in 2024, while precise information about days without active airspace monitoring was not granted for military confidentiality.