2023-11-28 14:08:00
The ministry announced that the signing of the “Memorandum of Understanding” will promote the opportunity to participate in defense procurement programs and strengthen existing cooperation.
“This agreement creates greater opportunities for our defense industries to meet the needs of our defense forces,” Kennedy said, according to the release. And Tanner added: “With the agreement signed today between Austria and the USA, we are modernizing the basis for our procurement cooperation between our two countries and can deepen it.” This also makes it possible to “increase Austria’s visibility in our partner country”.
Current procurements by the defense department include the purchase of 40,000 new helmets and spare parts for the Black Hawk S-70 helicopter and the M-109 self-propelled howitzer. Ammunition and artillery test vehicles are also purchased through the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) procurement program. The purchase of an additional helicopter squadron of twelve Black Hawk S-70s is also currently being planned.
Original agreement from 1991
The Memorandum of Understanding will have a “positive impact on Austria’s status in the FMS system,” said the Armaments Director of the Armed Forces, Major General Harald Vodosek, during the signing ceremony. “The Austrian economy and industry will have improved opportunities for trading on the US market.”
The original agreement between Austria and the USA dates back to 1991 and was signed by then Defense Minister Werner Fasslabend. Due to formal changes, the agreement had to be renewed following three decades. This enables the Ministry of Defense, particularly with regard to future necessary procurements, to “continue to lay the foundation for cost-efficient and smooth procurement processes in the areas of research and development, the procurement of goods and the procurement of services in support of defense equipment,” it said.
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