On December 11, the fly-out of the Saab 105OE took place at Vogler Air Base in Hörsching in the presence of Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner and high-ranking representatives of the Austrian Armed Forces.
With more than 156,500 flying hours and almost 254,000 missions for the safety of the population, the aircraft will end its active service at the end of the year after 50 years. As part of the “fly-out”, Defense Minister Tanner unveiled a Saab 105OE with a special Tiger livery “50 years in the service of Austria”. In her speech, Tanner emphasized the Saab 105OE’s multifaceted tasks as well as the achievements of its personnel.
“This is the end of an impressive era. Only the outstanding performance of our technicians and pilots, who have mastered this jet to perfection, has made such long and safe flight operations possible. Especially at the critical end of a system’s service life, their commitment has guaranteed smooth and, above all, safe and accident-free flight operations,” said Minister Tanner in her speech. The Saab 105OEs will remain in service in airspace surveillance until the end of the year. Their task will be taken over by the Eurofighter from 2021. Twenty aircraft were ordered from Sweden in 1968 and a further twenty were added in April 1969. In the Austrian Air Force, the Saab success story began with the landing of the first three aircraft in Hörsching on July 2, 1970. The jets were divided into three squadrons, stationed in Hörsching and Graz Thalerhof. The tasks of the Saab 105OE were wide-ranging: from reconnaissance and fire support for ground troops, VIP transports and scavenging tasks to detect radioactive contamination or the spread of ash or toxic clouds, to airspace surveillance. The interception of a Turkish Transall transport aircraft in August 1973 and the subsequent forced landing at Innsbruck Airport deserve special mention. The Saab 105OE also played an important role in pilot training. It was used as a trainer to train pilots in all necessary skills such as air combat, airspace surveillance, air reconnaissance missions and fire support. By participating in numerous aviation events, Austrian pilots were able to demonstrate their exceptional skills in comparison with comrades from other air forces. The “Karo As” aerobatic team and the “Silver Birds” aerobatic team in the mid-1970s were particularly highly regarded internationally and nationally.
In 1991, the Saab 105OE played an important role alongside the Draken in security operations along Austria’s southern border during the Yugoslavian crisis. A total of up to 14 Saab 105OEs were deployed during this crisis, flying patrols and surveillance flights along the state border. In September 1993, the first aircraft flew in a “Tiger livery”, based on the squadron’s insignia. In 2013, the Tiger Squadron became a member of the “NATO Tiger Association” as part of the Partnership for Peace. Here, too, the Saab 105OE was valued as a valuable asset and used in demanding training scenarios. The pilots were able to gain experience in cooperation with other air forces that would not have been possible in Austria. In the course of 50 years of service, the Air Force has lost twelve Saab 105OEs in air accidents; 14 pilots and technicians lost their lives in these missions. The last accident took place on April 17, 2003 during a training flight over the Allentsteig military training area. The pilot was able to eject from the aircraft and land unharmed at the training area. The Saab 105OE has flown accident-free for the past 17 years.
