The Austrian Armed Forces have been working on the topic of space for some time – now the area is to be examined even more closely. In particular, the Institute for Military Geosciences, headed by Brigadier Friedrich Teichmann, has expanded and intensified its research into the space sector.
Just last week, experts from the Defense Agency met to discuss the topic of “space research” at the Armed Forces barracks in Vienna. 15 representatives and around 150 industry representatives involved in space came together for a total of three days at the “EDA CapTech Space” meeting to work on various projects and further develop military space capabilities for and in Europe. Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner visited the event on site.
“The military and space research are increasingly forming a symbiosis. Space technology is nothing new for the armed forces. Space has long been used for military systems, especially in connection with observation, surveillance, navigation and communication capabilities. The Ukraine war has shown us that the military cannot be effective without space and that our Austrian Armed Forces must also deal more intensively with the topic of ‘space technologies’,” said Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner.
“The current crises, wars and threats have clearly shown that the Austrian Armed Forces must quickly take on an active role in space, and together with our Austrian and international partners, we can,” adds Brigadier Friedrich Teichmann, Head of the Institute of Military Geospatial Systems.
The fact is that the Austrian Ministry of Defense also uses space-based data. On the one hand, this concerns maps of satellite images or satellite-based navigation, i.e. position and time as well as coordinates, which the soldiers need, especially in the various operational areas, in order to be able to carry out reconnaissance and missions. However, situation reports from space are also of particular importance for the military in order to be able to recognize dangers and effects from above in good time.
The Austrian Armed Forces have been involved in space research for more than five years – with the aim of intensifying their work in this area. This includes cooperation with research institutions and international partners. At European level, the planned EU Space Strategy for Security and Defense (EUSSSD) is a key element of European defence policy. This is based on the European Union’s Strategic Compasses and was drawn up in March 2023.
The Austrian Armed Forces are currently working intensively on developing and adapting the “Austrian Military Space Policy 2010” in order to bring it up to date. “Our Armed Forces will also have to deal intensively with this domain in the medium to long term, because new technologies and developments mean that we have to think further ahead than before in terms of national military defense – and that includes space,” adds Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner.
