2024-03-13 01:10:06
The State Defense Committee debates the EU annual forecast for 2024 and the annual report of the Parliamentary Federal Armed Forces Commission
Vienna (PK) – As part of a debate on current issues with Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner, the MPs at today’s meeting were interested National Defense Committee of the National Council for a wide range of topics. International partnerships and procurement for the Federal Army were discussed, as were the question of personnel recruitment and the reform of the central office of the Federal Army.
In addition, the Ministry of Defense’s 2024 EU annual forecast was unanimously acknowledged by a majority – without the FPÖ’s votes – and the 2022 annual report by the Parliamentary Federal Armed Forces Commission. A state treaty between Austria and Germany on cooperation once morest non-military threats from the air also achieved unanimity.
International military partnerships
A central topic of the discussion with Defense Minister Tanner was international military partnerships. Austria’s relationship with NATO remains unchanged in light of the Swedish and Finnish accession, as Tanner Ewa Ernst-Dziedzic (Greens) replied. There is a strategic partnership that includes political dialogue but also questions regarding the interoperability of the armed forces. In this context, Helmut Brandstätter and Douglas Hoyos-Trauttmansdorff (both NEOS) asked regarding a passage from the planned new security strategy that talks regarding “moving closer to NATO”. An expert from the department explained that NATO was underrepresented compared to other international organizations in the 2013 security strategy and that this would be corrected in the new version. According to Tanner, Austria and NATO have been “reliable partners” for decades, which is also reflected in joint missions. However, Austria’s joining NATO is out of the question.
When asked by Hoyos-Trauttmansdorff regarding the duty of assistance within Europe, Tanner explained that there was no need to worry that Austria would be perceived as lacking solidarity. Austria “doesn’t have to hide” when it comes to its involvement in foreign missions. The Western Balkans in particular, as a “semi-pacified region on our doorstep,” still require a large troop presence, said Tanner. The states there would also be brought closer to European security and defense policy in the area of training. For example, soldiers from Bosnia and Herzegovina would visit the Theresian Military Academy in Wiener Neustadt.
Procurement and personnel recruitment for the Federal Army
The MPs were also interested in procurement for the Federal Army. ÖVP mandatary Manfred Hofinger asked regarding the successor to the “outdated” air transport system C-130 Hercules. After “intensive market observation,” the decision was made to use the Brazilian Embraer C-390 transport aircraft because it was the only model available on the market that met the requirements of the Federal Army, Tanner replied. After intensive negotiations, a contract is expected to be concluded in the middle of this year and an influx of aircraft around 2028. When asked by Maria Smodics-Neumann (ÖVP) regarding the Pandur wheeled tanks, Tanner explained that 255 new tanks would now be procured in 12 – instead of just three as before – variants with a wide range of capabilities. A budget of €1.8 billion would be made available for this.
Irene Neumann-Hartberger (ÖVP) and committee chairman Volker Reifenberger (FPÖ) also discussed basic military service and its importance for recruiting personnel. Reifenberger suggested extending this by two months in order to adequately train the recruits. Tanner emphasized that it is fundamentally crucial to create a positive atmosphere for the armed forces so that more young people decide to join it. She considered forcing people to work longer hours to be “outdated”. Rather, a greater awareness of the need for a functioning national defense must be created. Some steps have already been taken in this regard, as Tanner explained. There are currently 600 information officers working in elementary schools to promote intellectual national defense. Tanner also cited the increase in pay for military servants, the introduction of partial fitness and the payment of training bonuses as key incentives for staying in the armed forces. The intensive involvement of recruits in assistance missions, which often contributed to dissatisfaction with the army, has also been significantly reduced. Finally, the department has also made it much easier for women to register as volunteers, as Tanner explained.
MPs address inconsistencies in the reform of the central office
The reform of the central office and the highest military leadership of the Federal Army created a need for discussion, where the MPs had the opportunity to view the relevant audit report. For example, Robert Laimer (SPÖ) asked regarding the status of the reform and regarding filling posts with officials close to the ÖVP. Hubert Fuchs (FPÖ) was “shocked” by passages regarding influencing officials and addressed reports of abuse of office within the department. David Stögmüller (Greens) was also interested in the “illegal and unobjective” processes mentioned in the report, but emphasized that a “safety net” had been in place.
Defense Minister Tanner explained that a lot had already been implemented as part of the reform, but some adaptations also had to be made. By when the entire process is completed depends on the evaluating body, the Federal Ministry of Public Service (BMKÖS). Tanner “assumed her responsibility” from the beginning of the reform and ordered its accompanying control through the audit. She did not comment on the internal departmental reports because the public prosecutor’s office had the say here.
Mario Lindner (SPÖ) also discussed the helicopter fleet and its pilots, Robert Laimer (SPÖ) the visit of the German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, Ewa Ernst-Dziedzic (Greens) the deployment of Austrian soldiers on the Red Sea, and Helmut Brandstätter (NEOS) the establishment of a Rapid Deployment Capacity (quick reaction force) within the framework of the EU and Petra Wimmer (SPÖ) infrastructure measures by the Federal Army, especially in the area of photovoltaics.
Annual report of the Parliamentary Federal Armed Forces Commission 2022: Personnel shortages as the biggest challenge
The Parliamentary Federal Armed Forces Commission (PBHK) initiated 182 complaint procedures in 2022, which means a significant reduction in the number of complaints compared to the previous year with 295 procedures. This emerges from the PBHK’s 2022 annual report, on which the BMLV has submitted a statement (III-1042 d.B.). According to the report, the reasons for the complaint essentially related to training and service matters, personnel matters and equipment deficiencies. On the occasion of specific incidents, the annual report goes into more detail on the topics of suicide and extremism prevention in the armed forces. During the PBHK’s inspection visits, the shortage of personnel emerged as the main challenge for a functioning national defense. Problems in recruiting personnel are attributed in particular to the intensive involvement of recruits in non-military assistance missions.
In the committee, there was cross-party appreciation for the work of the PBHK, which also acts as an instrument for the “quality management” of the armed forces, as Friedrich Ofenauer (ÖVP) emphasized. Mario Lindner (SPÖ) asked regarding measures once morest “inappropriate statements” – as it was called in the report – which, in his view, often had a racist or homophobic background. Defense Minister Tanner referred to awareness-raising measures and a staff office set up specifically for this topic. PBHK chairman Reinhard Eugen Bösch addressed the low staffing levels, particularly in the militia, and suggested compulsory training for military conscripts.
EU Annual Forecast 2024: Strengthening the defense industry and international partnerships
The Ministry of Defense (BMLV) has presented its annual forecast for 2024, which is based on the legislative and work program of the European Commission and the eighteen-month program of the Spanish, Belgian and Hungarian Presidencies of the Council of the European Union (III-1100 d.B.). The BMLV particularly welcomes the European plans to strengthen the defense industrial base and international partnerships. EU projects in the areas of research and space are also viewed positively. Austria will continue to support the measures planned at EU level for continued “unwavering” support for Ukraine, including financial, humanitarian and non-lethal military assistance, as the annual forecast shows.
The Freedom Party clashed on the latter point, as their MP Hubert Fuchs explained, which is why they did not vote to acknowledge the report.
Agreement between Austria and Germany on cooperation once morest non-military threats from the air
In order to ensure cross-border security of airspace once morest non-military threats from the air, the federal government is presenting an agreement between Austria and Germany, which was signed in December 2022 (2286 d.B.). This should make it possible to fly over the common national border in order to safely “hand over” a suspicious aircraft to the aviation forces of the respective neighboring country and to improve the relevant reaction options and times.
The explanations emphasize the constitutional “exclusive requirement”, according to which the Austrian national defense is the sole responsibility of the Federal Army and may under no circumstances be carried out by foreign aviation forces. Measures once morest military threats are expressly not included. (End) wit
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