« Threat not only comes from Russia » – Diepresse.com
Sky Shield is not a missile defense, explains Bundesheer chief planner Bruno Hofbauer. « At the latest 2027 » politics must decide on Eurofighter succession.
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« From the military perspective, I can say that the terms are often not communicated correctly, » says Bruno Hofbauer, deputy chief of staff of the Federal Army, on the debate about Sky Shield. Clemens Fabry
The press: Lieutenant General Hofbauer, how is Austria’s air defense currently set up?
Bruno Hofbauer: Our skills are currently reduced to the smallest possible. With the Mistral steering weapon, we can cover a range of five kilometers. We also have two batteries of the 35 millimeter machine cannon. That is the very last line of defense.
What could you ward off with it?
You could also protect two objects in Austria from drone and aviation attacks, for example an airfield and a military headquarters.
The Federal Army has already ordered the Skyranger 30 Aviation Tower, which is to be assembled on the pandur wheel armor. What can he?
This serves to protect the floor troops. We see clearly in Ukraine that nothing moves on the ground if there is no aviation defense screen.
What threats does the Federal Army now want to prepare for the further procurement for air defense?
This is about drones, marching missiles, ballistic rockets, sliding bombs, combat helicopters and fighter jets.
What are concrete threat scenarios for Austria?
The situation has become so unpredictable that it is difficult to predict whether everything remains peaceful in Central Europe. The Houthi rebels can shoot from Yemen to Israel: This is a huge distance. If you use the same weapons from Lebanon, you are in Central Europe. So it’s not just about the threat from Russia, but also from other regions. Because the ranges of ballistic rockets and marching aircraft are getting bigger.
But who should attack Austria?
