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Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP) officially announced at a press conference on Monday: Austria will buy the AW169M helicopter from Italian manufacturer Leonardo as a replacement for the 50-year-old “Alouette”. A total of 18 helicopters will be purchased.
AUSTRIA. It is the largest military acquisition since the Eurofighter, “in more than 17 years,” the defense minister said Monday. The acquisition of the Eurofighters in particular showed “how it shouldn’t work.” That’s why the decision was made to opt for “government-to-government” contracting, Tanner said, to rule out dubious practices this time. This means that Austria has “a friendly nation”, so Tanner, specifically Italy, will participate.
Tanner: “My attitude towards Airbus is known”
The Armed Forces intend to spend around 300 million euros on the new multipurpose helicopters. In total, they were in contact with 27 countries, which in the end left for various reasons, as the Defense Minister explained: For example, the United States could not cooperate on training and logistics, and at the legal level, it was also a I deal with a non-EU country difficult. Germany wants to acquire later. Also, they want to keep the helicopters in Austria, but Germany wants to wait in their own country. “My attitude towards Airbus is well known,” added Tanner. One is in the public hearing process.
Ultimately, Italy was able to guarantee all the requirements in terms of procurement, operation and training. “That is why I decided to make the acquisition together with Italy,” Tanner said.
Twelve helicopters at Aigen, six at Langenlebarn
The new AW196M helicopter should be able to do much more than its predecessor, the 50-year-old “Alouette III”. It’s faster and can carry bigger loads and more people. When used in forest fires, the model can carry around three times more water than the “Alouette”, stressed the minister. 12 of them are stationed at Aigen in Styria and six at Langenlebarn in Lower Austria. The fleet can also operate in other federal states, for example, new hangars will be built in Vorarlberg.
Tanner named Styrian Governor Hermann Schützenhöfer (ÖVP) as one of “the political fathers of this success”, whom he thanked several times.
The Italian helicopter will be deployed to Austria from mid-2022. With today’s decision to retire the previous model, the new type AW169M should be ready for use, explained Chief of Staff Robert Brieger. Helicopter tasks, such as relief missions, as well as rescue and recovery missions, are insured for decades. The possibility of cooperation with Italy also allows joint exercises and deployments through which synergy effects and cost saving effects can be achieved.
AW169M is the most expensive model
Bell (had offered its model 429) and Airbus Helicopters (previously Eurocopter, had offered the H145) were left with nothing. Of the available models, the AW169M is the most expensive model. As “Krone” reported Sunday, operating costs should be around 30 percent higher than for Bell and Airbus machines.
The opposition loses transparency
DIPSTICKDefense spokesman Robert Laimer believes the decision to use the Leonardo helicopter is correct in a broadcast Monday. It is important that the hiring is conducted as a government-to-government business, “without the lobbies, commissions and alleged bribery payments known from hiring Eurofighter.” Laimer negatively assessed that Defense Minister Tanner had not presented the basic details of the various offers to Parliament in a public or confidential session. “The minister still has to fulfill this obligation.”
NEOSDefense spokesman Douglas Hoyos welcomed in a broadcast that a decision had finally been made. Hoyos also called for more transparency on the decision-making criteria: “Unfortunately, the Airbus dispute generated an alternative in advance. The decision on the most expensive rate has now been made. Tanner has to make it transparent on which criteria the decision is based. “. how it came about “.
FPÖ-Chef Norbert Hofer explained in a broadcast: “Mario Kunasek has negotiated the money that Minister Tanner is now going to buy.” a special investment package of € 400 million for three new Black-Hawk and 18 new multipurpose helicopters to replace the Alouette 3.
