Military of Austria

Infobox National Military
name= Austrian Armed Forces
native_name= Österreichs Bundesheer


caption=Leopard 2A4 of the "Bundesheer"
headquarters= Vienna
commander-in-chief= President Heinz Fischer
minister = Norbert Darabos
minister_title= Minister of Defence
commander= General Edmund Entacher
active= 31,000
reserve= 24,000
deployed=
budget=
percent_GDP=0.9% (2004)
founded=
current_form=
disbanded=
branches=Land Forces
Air Forces
age=18
manpower_age= 16-49
available= 1,914,800
available_f= 1,870,134
fit= 1,550,441
fit_f= 1,515,365
reaching= 48,967
reaching_f= 46,633
conscription =6 months
domestic_suppliers=Steyr Mannlicher
Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeuge (General Dynamics)
foreign_suppliers=FRA
GER
ITA
USA
exports=
imports=
history=Military history of Austria
Austro-Hungarian Army

The current name of the Military of Austria is Österreichs Bundesheer ("Federal Army of Austria", official English name Austrian Armed Forces). The main branches are the Land Forces (Kommando Landstreitkräfte; KdoLaSK), Air Forces (Kommando Luftstreitkräfte; KdoLuSK), Mission Support (Kommando Einsatzunterstützung; KdoEU), International Missions (Kommando Internationale Einsätze; KdoIE), Command Support (Kommando Führungsunterstützung; KdoFüU) and Special Forces (Kommando Spezialeinsatzkräfte; KdoSEK).

Being a landlocked country, Austria has no navy.

History

Between 1918 and 1921, the Austrian semi-regular army was called Volkswehr ("People's Defence"), and fought against Yugoslavian army units occupying parts of Carinthia. It has been known as "Bundesheer" since then, except when Austria was a part of Nazi Germany (1938-1945; see Anschluss). The Austrian Army did develop a defense plan in 1938 against Germany, but politics prevented it from being implemented.

In 1955, Austria declared its Everlasting Neutrality and made neutrality a constitutional law. The Austrian Military's main purpose since then has been the protection of Austria's neutrality.

With the end of the Cold War, the Austrian military have increasingly assisted the border police in controlling the influx of illegal immigrants through Austrian borders. The war in the neighbouring Balkans resulted in the lifting of the restrictions on the range of weaponry of the Austrian military that had been imposed by a 1955 international treaty.

Mission

The main constitutional tasks of today's Austrian military are:
*to protect the constitutionally established institutions and the population's democratic freedoms.
*to maintain order and security inside the country.
*to render assistance in the case of natural catastrophes and disasters of exceptional magnitude.

Equipment

The Austrian military has a wide variety of equipment. Recently, Austria has spent considerable amounts of money modernizing its military arsenal. M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks, Ulan and Pandur infantry fighting vehicles, C-130 Hercules transport planes, S-70 Black Hawk utility helicopters, and Eurofighter Typhoon multi-purpose combat aircraft have been purchased, along with new helicopters to replace the inadequate ones used after the 1999 Galtür Avalanche.

Austria's current equipment includes:

*114 Leopard 2 main battle tanks
*465 Saurer APC Armoured personnel Carriers
*189 M109 howitzer
* Bofors 40 mm gun
*70 Bergepanzer Armoured repair and recovery vehicles
*18 A1 Armoured engineer vehicles
*86 Jaguar 1 Tank destroyers
*112 Ulan infantry fighting vehicles
*224 Pandur APC
*35 Dingo 2 Protected vehicles
*268 Mercedes-Benz Unimog Trucks
*307 MAN 12.240 Trucks
*27 Observation tanks
*3 Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport planes
*9 Sikorsky S-70 Black Hawk utility helicopters (purchased in 2001)
*16 Pilatus PC-7 Turbo Trainer Training aircraft
*13 Pilatus PC-6 Porter Transport aircraft
*23 Alouette Recovery helicopters
*23 Agusta Bell 212 Twin Huey utility helicopters
*12 Bell OH-58 Kiowa Scout helicopter
*11 Bell 206 JetRanger Training helicopters
*28 Saab 105 aircraft
*15 Eurofighter Typhoon

Infantry weapons

*Steyr AUG (service rifle)
*Glock 17 (main Sidearm)
*Stg 58 (Austrian licensed FN-FAL, former service rifle)
*Steyr GB (former service sidearm)
*Browning Hi-Power (former service sidearm)
*Walther P38 (former service sidearm)
*Steyr MPi 69 and 80 sub-machine guns
*Steyr TMP submachine gun
*MG 74 multi purpose machine gun
*Steyr SSG 69 (standard sniper rifle)
*PAL 2000 (Bofors Bill) anti-tank
*PAR 66 (Bofors Carl-Gustaf) anti-tank

Traditions

Some of the traditions of the old Austro-Hungarian Army continue to be carried on in "Bundesheer". For example, the most famous regiment in the Bundesheer is the "Hoch und Deutschmeister Regiment", now known as Jägerregiment Wien based in "Maria Theresien Kaserne", named after Empress Maria Theresa of Austria. Also nearly every other regiment of the Bundesheer carries on traditions of the famous Austro-Hungarian regiments like "Kaiserjäger", "Rainer", etc.

Austrian commando frogmen

Austria's combat frogmen are part of the commando group of the Austrian federal army, the so-called Jagdkommando. The commando group is available for special operations in multinational operations, and for operational clearing-up in remote reconnaissance employments and in military protection of individuals abroad.

They use the Dräger LAR-V oxygen rebreather, which weighs 11 kg and has a 1.5 liter oxygen cylinder and allows a dive 3 hours long.

Beyond that they have special tasks within the range of combat frogmen, the paratroops, and personal guards.

External links

* http://tauchen.nullzeit.at/Content.Node/wissenswertes/kampfschwimmer_bundesheer.php
* http://www.doppeladler.com/oebh/jakdo.htm
* http://www.doppeladler.com/oebh/jakdo.htm?jakdo_02.htm

References

*"CIA World Factbook, 2005

ee also

* Steyr Automobile

External links

* [http://www.bmlv.gv.at Ministry of Defence (BMLV)]
* [http://www.doppeladler.com/oebh/ral7013.htm Overview over the Austrian Armed Forces (dates & pics)]
* [http://www.janes.com/defence/news/idr/idr060508_1_n.shtml Austrian Army reforms spawn hybrid recce and artillery units]
* [http://www.xairforces.com/airforces.asp?id=31 Austrian Air Force - Osterreichische Luftstreitkrafte]