The Austrian Air Force () is a component part of the Austrian Armed Forces.
History
The Austrian Air Force in its current form was created in May 1955 by the victorious Allied powers, subject to restrictions on its use of guided missiles. The Austrian State Treaty of 1955 committed Austria to permanent neutrality.
Pilot training started with four Yak-11 Moose and four Yak-18 Max aircraft donated by the Soviet Union, and Austria purchased further light trainer types under the Military Assistance Program. Until 1960 Austria purchased training and support aircraft under the MAP, but no modern fighter aircraft; the role of a fighter was rather inadequately filled by 30 of the already outdated Saab 29 Tunnan bought second-hand from the Swedish Air Force in the early 1960s.
From 1970, Austria purchased a total of 40 Saab 105 lightweight multi-role aircraft with the intention to deploy them in trainer, reconnaissance, interception and ground attack roles. As it became clear in the 1980s that the sub-sonic aircraft were inadequate for air combat and airspace interdiction, Austria purchased 28 reconditioned Saab 35 Draken fighter aircraft to supersede the Saab 105 as the Austrian Air Force's main interceptor in 1988. The Saab 105 remained in service as a trainer/surveillance aircraft.
Shortly after, the Draken saw their first major use in airspace interdiction starting in 1991 during the Yugoslav Wars, when Yugoslav MiG-21 fighters crossed the Austrian border without permission. In one incident on 28 June, a MiG-21 penetrated as far as Graz, causing widespread demands for action. Following repeated border crossings by armed aircraft of the Yugoslav People's Army, changes were suggested to the standing orders for aircraft armament.
Since 1955, Austria's armed forces had been forbidden to operate any guided missile system, including air-to-air missiles and surface-to-air missiles (SAMs). In the post-Cold War environment, and with gun-armed aircraft a relic of a past age, the Austrian Parliament voted to amend this section of its state treaty and in January 1993 modern AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles were ordered from Sweden to arm its fighter aircraft. A higher performance model of the Sidewinder was purchased directly from the United States; deliveries began in 1995. French Mistral SAMs were purchased to add ground-based protection against air attack. The first Mistrals arrived in 1993 and final deliveries were concluded in 1996.
The helicopter fleet has included Agusta-Bell (AB) 204s (mainly used for medical evacuation), AB-206s (training and liaison), and AB-212s (used by air-mobile troops and for light transport). 28 French-made Alouette IIIs were used for search-and-rescue tasks, including high mountain operations. The Bell OH-58 Kiowa, a scout helicopter, is mounted with a rapid-firing machine gun, but the air force lacks a true attack helicopter. Most of the helicopters mentioned above, except the AB-212s, are becoming obsolete or have already been retired. After the 1999 Galtür Avalanche, it became apparent that the Austrian Air Force's helicopter complement were too few in numbers and too limited in design. Therefore, 9 US-built UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters were purchased, to be used for transportation during disasters.
In 2003 Austria's transport capability was improved when it purchased three C-130 Hercules from the Royal Air Force. These aircraft were needed for the demanding UN peacekeeping missions in which Austria played a role. One of which was retired in 2025, and the others will be retired in 2027 and 2030, being replaced by four C-390 aircraft.
In 2005, the Saab Draken fleet was retired (50 years after the type first flew), to be replaced by the Eurofighter Typhoon. Before the first delivery of Typhoons, 12 F-5 Tiger II were leased from Switzerland as a stopgap measure. The Eurofighter purchase was subject to controversy in Austria, and became a political football for some time, but the 15th and final aircraft was delivered on 24 September 2009.Eurofighter's Rough Ride in Austria Continues . Defenseindustrydaily.com (2012-11-13). Retrieved on 2013-08-16. As of 2017, possible corruption affairs surrounding the Eurofighter procurement were still being investigated by the Austrian parliament. In July 2017, as a result of the ongoing controversy, the Austrian Ministry of Defense announced the phasing out of the Typhoon starting in 2020, and its replacement by a "militarily more effective and more cost-efficient" air surveillance system; . derstandard.at (2017-07-07). Retrieved on 2017-07-07. however, this plan was never executed due to budget cuts and COVID-19, with plans instead to replace the Typhoons with upgraded variants.
Organization Austria's air force is divided into two brigade-level formations: the Air Surveillance Command () in Salzburg tasked with the defense of the Austrian airspace and the Air Support Command () in Hörsching Air Base with helicopters and transport planes.
Air Surveillance Command, Salzburg Airspace Surveillance Wing, Zeltweg Air Base Fighter Squadron 1, (Eurofighter Typhoon jets) Fighter Squadron 2, (Eurofighter Typhoon jets) Radar Battalion, Salzburg Air Defense Battalion 2, Zeltweg Air Defense Bataillon 8, Salzburg
Maintenance Facility 2, Zeltweg Air Base Air Support Command, Hörsching Air Base Air Support Wing, Langenlebarn Air Base Medium Transport Helicopter Squadron, (9x S-70A-42 Black Hawk helicopters) Light Utility Helicopter Squadron, (10x OH-58B Kiowa helicopters) Light Air Transport Squadron, (8x PC-6 Porter planes) Air Reconnaissance Squadron, (various Unmanned aerial vehicles) Liaison Helicopter Squadron, Aigen im Ennstal Light Transport Helicopter Squadron 1, Hörsching Air Base (11x AB 212 helicopters) Light Transport Helicopter Squadron 2, Hörsching Air Base (11x AB 212 helicopters) Air Transport Squadron, Hörsching Air Base (3x C-130K Hercules planes) Maintenance Facility 1, Langenlebarn Air Base Maintenance Facility 3, Hörsching Air Base
All personnel destined to enter service with the Air Force are trained by the Air and Air Defense Personnel School () based at Langenlebarn Air Base. The school is under direct command and control of the Ministry of Defense and controls two flying units:
Airplane Training Squadron, Zeltweg Air Base (12x PC-7 planes) Helicopter Training Squadron, Langenlebarn Air Base
After 50 years of service the Austrian Air Force retired without replacement its Saab 105OE aircraft in January 2021 and disbanded its Jet Trainer Squadron () at Linz - Hörsching Air Base, which operated the type. The Squadron's younger pilots re-qualified for the Eurofighter, the older pilots and the aircraft technicians re-qualified for the AB 212 helicopters and advanced jet flying training was outsourced to the Italian Air Force's MB.339 and T.346 jet trainers operating from Lecce - Galatina and Decimomannu.
Air Force locations
Air bases
Eight air bases () are maintained by the Austrian Air Force.Wolfgang Hainzl, Die Luftstreitkräfte Österreichs 1955 bis heute, Third Edition, Weishaupt Verlag, 2000Brigadier Peter Kolecko (ret.) and Vizeleutnant Peter Dachgruber (ret.), Die Flächenstaffel – Von der Yak-18 bis zur Herkules, First Edition, Weishaupt Verlag, 2005Brigadier Rolf M. Urrisk, Die Traditionspflege des österreichischen Bundesheeres 1918–1998, First Edition, Weishaupt Verlag, 1997
Vogler Air Base
Vogler Air Base, north of the town of Hörsching west of Linz, was built as a base for the German Luftwaffe 1938–1940. After the war the USAAF used the base, then named "Camp McCauley – Hörsching" and housing displaced persons, until 1955 when it was returned to the Austrian government.
Initially used exclusively by the ground forces, the first military aircraft, Yak-18 "Max-A", arrived in 1957. The base was named for First Lieutenant Walter Vogler in 1967.
The German-built base structures were used jointly by the military and civilian aviation until the 70s when construction of the new civilian area in the northern part of the base was finished.
FH Vogler is the largest base of the . It houses 3, responsible for overhauls and maintenance of the C-130K Hercules and AB-212.
Units currently based here are the C-130K Hercules of 4th Air Transport Squadron, Flight Regiment 3; and the AB-212 of 1st and 2nd Helicopter Squadron, Flight Regiment 3.
Figl-Pabisch Air Base
Figl Air Base (until 2024 Fliegerhorst Brumowski), south of the town of Langenlebarn northwest of Vienna, was built as a base for the Luftwaffe 1938–1940. After the war the base was briefly occupied by Soviet troops before it was taken over by the USAAF, becoming "Air Force Station Tulln – Vienna". In 1946 Pan Am added the base as a destination, and for a short time there were regular flights New York City/Langenlebarn.
The first Austrian aircraft to arrive were Yak-11 "Moose" and Yak-18 "Max-A" trainers donated by the Soviet Union and Agusta Bell AB47G2 helicopters in late 1955. The base was named for Captain Godwin Brumowski in 1967. In 2024 the airbase was renamed to Fliegerhorst Leopold Figl - Flugplatz General Pabisch
The base is the headquarters of the (Air Support Wing); it also houses the (Federal School for Aeronautical Engineering) and 1, responsible for overhauls and maintenance of the , S-70A-42 Black Hawk and OH-58B Kiowa.
Units currently based here are the of 4th Air Squadron, Flight Regiment 1; the S-70A-42 Black Hawk of 1st Helicopter Squadron, Flight Regiment 1, and OH-58B Kiowa of 3rd Helicopter Squadron, Flight Regiment 1.
Hinterstoisser Air Base
Fliegerhorst Hinterstoisser, located north of Zeltweg in a region known as Aichfeld, was built as a base for the Air Force of the 1936–1938. The base was occupied by Soviet troops in the aftermath of the war, but then transferred to the RAF which used the base until 1947.
In spring 1957 the first aircraft, Piper PA-18/95 Super Cub and Zlin Z-126 Trener, arrived with 1 at the base. Since then it is the main base for the training of new aviators. It was named for Colonel Franz Hinterstoisser in 1967.
The base houses the 1st Squadron of the (Surveillance Wing). With the retirement of the Saab 35 Draken in 2005 the unit now uses the Eurofighter Typhoon. The first Eurofighter Typhoon arrived in July 2007. The base also houses parts of 2, responsible for overhauls and maintenance of the Saab 105OE and the Pilatus PC-7 Turbo Trainer, as well as flight school for basic training.
Units currently based here are the PC-7 Turbo Trainer of flight school; detachments of 2nd Squadron and the Eurofighter Typhoon.
Fiala-Fernbrugg Air Base Fiala-Fernbrugg Air Base (), located north of the town of Aigen im Ennstal on the southern edge of the Totes Gebirge, was built as a base for the Air Force of the 1936–37. At the end of World War II the base became the home base of the only helicopter unit of the Luftwaffe; beginning the tradition of helicopter operations at Aigen im Ennstal.
Soviet troops occupied the base after the war, but after only a few weeks control switched to US forces. After a few more weeks, the base ended up in British hands. The RAF rebuilt the base and handed it over to Austria in 1947. It was used as a storage depot for the B-Gendarmerie, a paramilitary police force in the western zones. After some years of hiatus, the first helicopters, Bell H-13H Sioux arrived in late 1960. The base was named for Captain Benno Fiala von Fernbrugg in 1967.
The base houses , which was responsible for overhauls and maintenance on the AS-316B Alouette III. (Alpine landing courses) are conducted at least annually at the base, with officers of foreign air forces as regular attendants.
Units based here were the AS-316B Alouette III of 1st and 2nd Helicopter Squadron, Flight Regiment 2.
Wiener Neustadt Air Base