From January 20 up to and including January 25, the air forces of the Austrian Armed Forces The Austrian airspace will be under increased surveillance as part of Operation Daedalus during the World Economic Forum in Davos (WEF). For this purpose, a restricted flight area was established over parts of Vorarlberg and Tyrol. More than 1,000 soldiers as well as 20 aircraft, eleven fixed-wing aircraft and nine helicopters ensure the safety of the event and protect the local population from dangers from the air.
According to a recent statement from the Austrian Armed Forces, patrol flights for surveillance, flights to identify airspace violations, transports and cross-border operations with Switzerland are among the missions carried out.
In this context, Federal Minister Klaudia Tanner emphasized the particular importance of cooperation with Switzerland. “The long-standing cooperation between our two neutral states in the “Daedalus” airspace security operation has proved very successful,” said Defense Minister Tanner.
“Cross-Border Operations”
Flights across national borders are constantly being practiced between Austria and Switzerland as part of the further development of cooperation. These flights are made possible by the reciprocal granting of entry permits.
These “cross-border operations” ensure that civil aircraft that do not comply with international aviation guidelines are monitored and escorted by each other in the event of airspace violations close to the border. This ensures the observation of aircraft, but above all the early handover between the air forces of two countries. However, the use of weapons in neighboring airspace is not permitted. Due to the proximity of Davos to the border, Switzerland again requested that surveillance of Austrian airspace in the affected area be stepped up this year.
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