Never before have the armed forces as many new aircraft are about to enter service as now. What are the main areas of investment? And what will happen to our Eurofighters? An interview with Armaments Director Major General Harald Vodosek and Brigadiers Jörg Freistätter and Josef Juster from Directorate 5 Procurement.
Major General, when you think about the state of the Austrian Air Force five years ago, what picture do you see?
Major General Harald Vodosek: I see an ageing fleet of helicopters, which are operational primarily because the material maintenance facilities work very well. I also see an ageing air transport system, for which we were already considering a successor at the time, and with the Eurofighter I see a modern fighter jet, but one that lacks essential equipment such as a missile warning device, night vision capability and a long-range missile.
Not a particularly pretty picture overall?
Brigadier Jörg Freistätter: Definitely not, no. I was asked a few years ago where the priorities should be set in the event of a small budget increase in the air sector. The answer was very simple: everywhere. The need was huge in all areas, the most modern fleet five years ago was the Eurofighter, and we already introduced it in 2007. Vodosek: If you want to put it casually, we were grounded back then. Now we are starting to climb …
… which should lead where in the next ten years?
Freistätter: If you look at the modernization process heralded by Federal Minister Klaudia Tanner, then no stone will be left unturned in the air sector. In ten years’ time, we will replace our Alouette III and OH-58 with new Leonardo AW169 light multi-role helicopters and our AB212 helicopters (-> the armed forces are currently still investing in new flight management systems) with a new UH60-M squadron. We will then be in the introductory phase of a new Advanced Jet Trainer Fighter Attack as the successor to the Saab 105OE, which was decommissioned at the end of 2020 and with the C-390 for the successor system to the C-130 Hercules have already achieved full operational capability.
“I was asked a few years ago where the priorities should be set in the event of a small budget increase in the air sector. The answer was very simple: everywhere.”
Brigadier Jörg Freistätter
The first planes are expected to arrive in 2027.
Freitsätter: In ten years’ time, we will also have numerous drones, from small combat technology systems that are already in procurement right up to MALE drones (note: Medium Altitude Long Endurance). We will also have a replacement for our PC-7 trainers, for which we are now carrying out a minimal avionics update so that we can continue to operate them until then.
What variants are conceivable as successors?
Freistätter: These can be pure trainers if the task of close air support is handed over to the advanced jet trainer. But they can also be armed trainers to assign a second task to the training squadron. The situation is similar for the planned replacement of our PC-6, where we are considering a MALE system in the long term, depending on the planning specifications and the desired sensor technology and flight duration, but initially a manned system. The order of magnitude is still completely open, from compact models to multi-domain systems.
Let’s go into detail about the Advanced Jet Trainer. When can we expect a type decision?
Freistätter: Last summer, we sent a request for information (RFI) to all eligible manufacturers and received the responses in the fall. We are now evaluating them, assessing them and developing a budget tangent. We will then present the results to the Federal Minister for a decision.
“We are facing a complete paradigm shift: our task to date has been airspace surveillance, but in future it will be about airspace defense.”
Generalmajor Harald Vodosek
Is it true that with the L-39NG from Aero Vodochody, the M-346FA from Leonardo and the T-7 from Boeing and Saab, there are basically three types in the running?
Vodosek: Let me put it this way: We have essentially defined two major capabilities for ourselves. On the one hand, the air-to-ground combat capability and, on the other, a trainer capability. This is how we entered the market and identified all the types that meet our requirements in terms of various performance parameters such as climb performance or weapon system options.
Can you say something about the planned number of units? Are we talking about purchasing the twelve machines originally planned? Or more?
Vodosek: We are talking about twelve aircraft with different armament options.
You are already one step ahead of the Advanced Jet Trainer with the new C-390 air transport system from Embraer as the successor to the C-130 Hercules. When announcing the type decision, Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner spoke of a planned contract signing in the first half of 2024. Is this schedule still up to date?
Freistätter: Absolutely. We have been in intensive negotiations with the Netherlands for weeks, who in turn are about to conclude their negotiations with the manufacturer Embraer. The aim is to purchase a total of nine aircraft together with the Dutch – five for the Dutch and four for Austria – in a cooperative procurement process.
You previously mentioned the AW169 helicopter as the successor to our Alouette III and AB212. Manufacturer Leonardo recently announced an increase in the performance limit to 5,100 kilograms gross weight.
Freistätter: We were already expecting this announcement, the development was already on our radar when we decided on the type, we didn’t decide in favor of the skid chassis for no reason …
… but also for only four armament packages. Is that enough for 36 helicopters?
Freistätter: We are now waiting for the certification of the weapon station and then we will probably increase the number significantly. It will then be about guided and unguided missiles as well as a cannon pod. https://militaeraktuell.at/die-ukraine-nimmt-russlands-oelindustrie-ins-visier/
The modernization of our existing Black Hawk fleet is currently underway at Ace Aeronautics in the USA …
Freistätter:… and we are also making good progress. Five of our nine aircraft have already undergone modernization, two are currently in the USA and two are still outstanding. Ace is also supplying us with the three UH-60Ls we ordered to complete our squadron, which come from US Army stocks and are being modified to meet our requirements. The first two aircraft should arrive next year.
And the twelve new Black Hawks?
Freistätter: The plan would be to procure these directly from the Americans via Foreign Military Sales (FMS). This involves UH-60M models, i.e. the standard American version. The first aircraft are expected to be delivered 24 months after the contract is signed.
Speaking of signing contracts: although the armed forces will receive significantly more money in the coming years, many expensive advance payments for procurements are now due within a short period of time. How difficult is it to coordinate these and still stay within budget at the end of the day?
Brigadier Josef Juster: Of course, companies need advance payments to be able to procure supplier parts themselves and ramp up production. But how high these advance payments are and when they are to be made is a matter of negotiation and planning. We try to stagger our projects, coordinate them and adjust payment plans so that everything works out at the end of the day. Of course, this is not always easy and involves a lot of number crunching – but we have noticed that the industry is very accommodating in this respect.
In what way?
Juster: You can see from the budget path we have chosen and which is secured by law that we will have the money we need. https://militaeraktuell.at/wanted-neuer-advanced-jet-trainer-gesucht/
Let’s move on to the Eurofighter: the Austrian Armed Forces currently have 15 jets, which are now to receive missile warning devices, pods for night vision capability and long-range AIM-120 C-8 AMRAAM guided missiles. But that doesn’t change the plan to decommission the aircraft by 2037 at the latest, does it?
Vodosek: During the 2007 to 2009 intake, the intention was to fly the system for 30 years and it was also made clear in Klaudia Tanner’s ministership that we want to continue operating the Eurofighter until then. To this end, we will make the modifications mentioned and then, ideally, a decision on the successor should be made in the 2020s – and we are facing a complete paradigm shift. Our task to date has been airspace surveillance, but in the future it will be about airspace defense.
When do you start sounding out the market with a view to succession?
Freistätter: We do that all the time – it’s our very own job. That’s why we go to arms fairs, that’s why we stay in contact with manufacturers and that’s why we also analyze developments in the European environment and in other armed forces. This means we always have an overview of what is on offer, innovations, new developments and product variations. However, we will only deal with the topic in detail when there is an order and we receive the necessary specifications from the planning department.
And which systems are currently conceivable?
Vodosek: It would be dubious to make any statements at this stage. Essentially, it will probably be about the “usual suspects” that are currently available for selection in practically all fighter jet procurement procedures in Europe.
“We are trying to stagger our projects, coordinate them and adjust payment plans so that everything works out in the end.”
Brigadier Josef Juster
Besides switching to other models, is a continuation of our Eurofighter Tranche 1 beyond 2037 also conceivable?
Freistätter: That will be technically difficult or even impossible. You would have to completely gut the aircraft at enormous expense and essentially rebuild it. That would be completely uneconomical and at the end of the day you would only have a compromise solution again … Vodosek:… and that is exactly what we currently want to avoid in all areas at all costs. We want to rebuild capacities in the air and compromise solutions won’t help us.
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