Major Roland Kobenz is a technical officer and senior military aviation technician. We interviewed him in the run-up to “Airpower 2024” in Zeltweg and talked to him about his career and the planned acquisition of the jet trainer (-> Austrian Armed Forces examines offer for M-346FA from Leonardo) – and what is still on his mind at the moment.
Major, how do you become a senior military aeronautical engineer?
I did the HTL and then I really wanted to fly. So I joined the army. Unfortunately, I didn’t quite make it through the test to become a pilot. I then wrote a ministerial report to the then Minister of Defense Doskozil and told him that I wanted to fly and that I already had a background as a technician. He then decided that I could train to become a technical officer, i.e. an aviation technician. I was then allowed to fly with Hercules all over Europe for six years, and from 2016 to 2020 I was responsible for the engine in the aircraft hangar. I have been in my current position as Head of Aviation Technology since 2020.
“Why would it be good to have a jet trainer in Austria? To save on training costs. The pilot then learns tactical flying, procedures and handling. In other words, everything that the computers in the Eurofighter can do, the pilot can also learn in another aircraft.”
Major Roland Kobenz, leitender Militärluftfahrttechniker.
What are you currently working on?
We are all concerned with the Minister’s plans at the moment. It’s all about where we should be heading by 2032. Above all, when and how the jet trainer should arrive. This involves a lot of personnel planning and infrastructure. In terms of infrastructure, we are talking about everything from the refueling station, the tower and the tankers to the location of the new hangar where the trainer will be located and where the simulator will stand. All of this applies not only to Zeltweg, but also to Hörsching.
Explained in layman’s terms: What exactly is the jet trainer and why does the army need it?
One thing is clear: our pilots have to acquire the training for the Eurofighter somewhere. In Austria, we don’t yet have the resource of jet flying, so we have to send our pilots to Italy and buy training lessons there. The jet trainer is more or less a jet-powered training aircraft. We can use it for various training courses: from a speed of 200 knots – what the PC-7 represents – to the Eurofighter. Why would it be good to have a jet trainer in Austria? To save on training costs. The pilot then learns tactical flying, procedures and handling. In other words, everything that the computers in the Eurofighter can do, the pilot can also learn in another aircraft. The only big difference is that the Eurofighter flies faster than the sonic boom. The jet trainer cannot do that. https://militaeraktuell.at/bundeswehr-heckler-koch-neues-scharfschuetzengewehr/
Which model will Austria get as a jet trainer?
We assume that it will be an Italian Aermacchi M-346. There are also aircraft from the Czech Republic and Korea, but the M-346 is the trainer we favor. But the decision is up to the cabinet. (Editor’s note: The Ministry of Defense is currently reviewing an offer for said Aermacchi M-346 from Leonardo).
If you could wish for anything, what would it be?
To be able to carry out regular operations well at all times. That the actors on the ground are also given the concession of being able to make certain decisions. And that long-term decisions are not often put on the back burner. Considerations are often made that can be reconsidered afterwards, that can be discussed and talked about. Our service station here in Zeltweg, for example, was built before the Draken. We had 24 of them, but only 12 were here at the time. Now, with 15 Eurofighters, the PC-7, school planes and helicopters, we have much more activity than back in the 1980s. The filling station is not designed for this. It should have been rebuilt three years ago. But there is too much discussion about minor details, so there has been no renovation so far. I would like to see fewer discussions and quicker decisions.
Here for further Bundesheer messages andd here to all 5-questions-to-interviews.
