Planned Army Investments Should Be Realized

Savings will only be made in the areas of administration, public relations, advertisements, or events.

Any savings will "certainly not affect the development plan" of the armed forces, Tanner emphasized. Likewise, "none of the equipment being procured and not the exercises," she said: "I rely on the employees to know where savings can be made."

"Development Plan 2032+" to be implemented as planned

The "Development Plan 2032+" of the armed forces is secured in the double budget presented by Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer (SPÖ) on Tuesday. Compared to 2024, the budget of the armed forces will increase in total in 2025 - including authorizations - according to Tanner by 18 percent or 725 million euros. Without authorizations, the increase is 349.1 million (8.6 percent). The following year, there is another regular increase in the budget of 369.8 million more, which means an increase of 8.4 percent compared to this year. With authorizations, there will be an increase of 8.5 percent in 2026 compared to the 4.74 billion from 2025.

The largest portion of the budget concerns personnel with just under 45 percent, followed by investments (31.4 percent) and operations (23.7). This means the share of GDP will be 1.17 percent in 2025 and 1.25 percent in 2026.

"Cost optimizations" are planned for 2026 amounting to 70 million euros, and in 2026 then amounting to 91.8 million euros. These should be achieved in the area of administration. Tanner mentioned potential savings in public relations, advertisements, business trips, and events. Whether the latter point will also affect the "Airpower" air show, Tanner could not yet answer. There will first be discussions with the partners - the state of Styria and the beverage manufacturer Red Bull.

Tanner: "The Mission Forward Continues"

"The mission forward continues," said Tanner - and it will develop into the "Mission Upward." The goal of using two percent of GDP for defense by 2032 will continue to be pursued. "The question will not be whether, but how we achieve this goal together." A working group has been set up for this purpose, which includes the Ministry of Defense, the Federal Chancellery, the Vice Chancellery, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This will start as soon as the budget has been approved, according to Tanner.

For armament investments to implement the "Development Plan 2032+" and investments in structural infrastructure, a total of 1.377 billion is planned, as was already evident in the budget the day before. This means an increase of 119.6 million compared to 2024. In 2026, the investment sum will rise by 357.3 million to a total of 1.735 billion.

In addition to the already announced new acquisitions or those already underway, the armed forces also want to acquire new drones - not only for surveillance but also for combating ground targets, confirmed Tanner and the Deputy Chief of Staff responsible for procurements, Bruno Hofbauer, in a report by the "Presse". It is clear that these will not be fully autonomous devices, he emphasized.

"We Must Prepare for Bad Weather Times Ahead"

Furthermore, the lieutenant general referred to the still tense military strategic situation. "It has by no means calmed down yet, and we cannot assume that the situation in Europe will improve in the medium term after a possible agreement between Russia and Ukraine. We must prepare for bad weather times ahead."

There are indications "that the EU remains a target that Moscow will pursue," he said. This does not necessarily have to be done with conventional means, he pointed to the possibility of hybrid warfare. Furthermore, the question is to what extent the USA will engage in Europe in the future.

The military strategic objective is "already known": The Austrian Armed Forces must be enabled by 2032 "to defend the Austrian people against any military attack and to protect its people."

Already being implemented is, among other things, the expansion of the Pandur fleet, the replacement of the old Agusta Bell 212 transport helicopter fleet with Black Hawk, the procurement of four Embraer C-390 transport aircraft, a new "Battle Management System," as well as negotiations with the Italian government for the acquisition of twelve Leonardo M-346 FA jet trainers to replace the decommissioned Saab 105.

New drones will also be acquired, which can also be used for ground attacks. "We will enter here with a high number," said Hofbauer.

This year, the order for medium-range air defense missile systems is to be completed. According to Hofbauer, the goal remains to handle the acquisition within the framework of the European procurement platform Sky Shield. Furthermore, it concerns the "digitization" of the Austrian Armed Forces, a new anti-tank weapon, and rocket artillery.

Budget Without Eurofighter Succession Question

Not included in the budget is the succession question of the Eurofighter, which is slowly being phased out, as well as the acquisition of long-range air defense missiles. This must be handled through separate financing and not through the regular budget, said Tanner.

(APA/Red)

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