Army helis are “up to date”
In the summer, Austria took part in a multinational exercise in Viterbo with four AB212 helicopters and was able to demonstrate its expertise in a crucial role.
As part of the major international exercise “Italian Blade 2015”, around 1,100 soldiers from ten nations practiced various crisis scenarios together in Viterbo, Italy, this summer. Austria took part with four AB212s from Hörsching and 50 soldiers and was responsible for the success of an “air mission” on the subject of hostage rescue, among other things. The exercise included all intermediate steps from the initial briefing to the debriefing and was successfully completed. “The objective of the exercise – to improve and consolidate international cooperation in the field of military helicopter operations – was clearly achieved,” said contingent commander Colonel Hannes Mittermair. Similarly pleasing: “Following the recent technical upgrade, our AB212 is up to date and meets the required standards.” (jz)
“The objective of the exercise – to improve and consolidate international cooperation in the field of military helicopter operations – was clearly achieved.” Contingent commander Colonel Hannes Mittermair
Chief of Mission visits UNIFIL

Lieutenant General Schmidseder in front of the transport company. He also inspected the ceasefire line between Lebanon and Israel together with Austrian military observers.
Lieutenant General Karl Schmidseder recently took a look at the situation in Lebanon for himself.
Since 2011, the Austrian Armed Forces have provided a logistics unit for the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission, in which a total of around 10,000 soldiers from 38 countries are participating. The Austrian contingent consists of 170 soldiers, including logisticians, drivers, mechanics and medics. The mission of the UNIFIL soldiers is to ensure the security of the population by carrying out patrols and operating checkpoints. The headquarters are located in Naqoura, in the southwest of the country. Lieutenant General Schmidseder, Head of the Operations Section in the Ministry of Defense, has now been in Lebanon to see for himself the operational readiness and performance of the 8th Austrian contingent. The company commander of the “Multi Role Logistic Unit”, Major Stefan Haas, led a tour of Camp Naqoura and Lieutenant General Schmidseder had numerous discussions with the soldiers. Schmidseder was briefed in the operations area by Spanish Brigadier General José Conde de Arjona. He was then accompanied by Austrian military observers from the UNTSO mission on a trip along the so-called “Blue Line”, the ceasefire line between Lebanon and Israel. (dm)