On the Tradition Day of the Command Support School of the Austrian Armed Forces a partnership was agreed between the school and the Austrian Military Radio Society (AMRS) (-> Click here for the report on the Tradition Day). We spoke to the President of the AMRS, Martin Engel, and board member Christian Hacker about the role of amateur radio in the military.
What is the AMRS and how did it come about?
Martin Engel: The Austrian Military Radio Society is the amateur radio club of the Austrian Armed Forces and forms part of the Austrian Experimental Transmitter Association (ÖVSV) as the tenth national association. It was founded in 1962 as a branch of the Austrian Armed Forces, at that time under the name Austrian Military Radio Section. Its origins lie in the deployment abroad in the Congo: at that time, the aim was to establish connections between soldiers on deployment and their families at home – a kind of “home radio” that was intended to reassure and inform.
What tasks were added afterwards?
Martin Engel: In addition to private messages, official communications also took place via telex and voice radio. There were hardly any functioning communication lines back then – many devices still came from the occupying powers. So radio amateurs who had the know-how and technology were called upon. This is how the AMRS became a permanent fixture. This was later followed by missions in the Golan and on Cyprus, where short-wave radio links were established between the operational area and home.
How has this developed over the decades?
Christian Hacker: With the advent of satellite communication and the internet, the original service was disbanded in 1992. However, the active members wanted to continue and founded the AMRS as an association – with the same abbreviation – “Section” became “Society” -, the same logo and the original objectives. Today, we are a military-political association worthy of support, which is a cultural partner of the Armed Forces and is still involved in communication and training.
Will radio soon be superfluous in view of modern cyber issues?
Christian Hacker: On the contrary. One example: at the beginning of 2000, the armed forces realized that we had to get back to basics. It was recognized that satellite telephones, the Internet and cell phones are not fail-safe. Satellite phones also incur enormous charges. On shortwave, you can operate radio from any location with little effort, little equipment and low costs – whether in the middle of the desert, as in Chad, or on the high seas. What’s more, we can transmit not only voice radio via shortwave, but also e-mails, weather data, GPS data, routes and much more.
A partnership with the Austrian Armed Forces was signed today. What is it all about?
Martin Engel: The focus is on disaster and emergency radio. Many authorities now recognize how important independent communication channels are. For example, we support the State Crisis and Disaster Management (SKKM) of the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) and provide our expertise in radio technology and network construction. This also includes new systems such as the “Tactical Communication Network” (TCN) (-> TCN and Noriker presented in the Starhemberg barracks), digital radio networks or shortwave operation – areas in which our members who have passed the amateur radio examination often have decades of experience.
Where do you see technical overlaps between amateur radio and military use?
Martin Engel: The basics are the same: radio data transmission, modulation, frequency management. Many of us are electrical engineers, and our knowledge flows directly into the operation of modern army communications. Anyone who is experienced in amateur radio understands antenna construction, network design and interference analysis – all of which is worth its weight in gold in the military environment.
How does AMRS work with the armed forces today?
Christian Hacker: Our expertise flows directly into this. The Austrian Armed Forces even offer amateur radio courses that are held in cooperation with us. Within two weeks, soldiers or civilians can take the amateur radio exam. Many of our members work in military workshops or at the army logistics center.
What does the new partnership mean to you?
Christian Hacker: A lot. It is based on reciprocity and consolidates what we have been living for years: Cooperation, trust and joint training. Now we are no longer just a defense policy association, but an official partner of the Austrian Armed Forces – and we are proud of that.
