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How is our Armed Forces really doing?

After decades of cutbacks, money, equipment, and self-confidence are once again flowing into the Austrian armed forces. But where is this path leading?(Bild: Paul Tikal)

More money, new tasks: Austria’s armed forces are undergoing the biggest restructuring in their recent history. The “Krone” visited Austria’s barracks, airfields, forest outposts, and Blue Helmet bunkers in Lebanon.

In a wild field of wild garlic among the dry spruce trees of the Leitha Mountains, seven men lie pressed deep into the soft forest floor. Fine spiderwebs stretch between the leaves of the wild garlic. They have been watching the winding cart track ahead of them for a long time. So long that their uniforms have taken on the garlic-like scent of the wild garlic. They communicate with each other only through hand signals. Tension hangs in the air. Suddenly, shots ring out. The hidden group of hunters opens fire almost simultaneously with blank ammunition. A machine gun rattles into the underbrush, where a shadow darts from tree to tree in the thicket. Commands are shouted; things get hectic. No one pays attention to the finely woven spiderwebs anymore. Minutes of explosive noise before the relieving order to halt is given. Weapons are unloaded. The men take a sip of water from their canteens, which some of them have laced with intensely flavored caffeine powder. Then the drill begins anew.

A soldier from the Lower Austria Ranger Battalion during an exercise in April(Bild: ÖBH /JgB NÖ)

Civilians in Uniform
The people training here are structural engineers, waiters, and a civil engineer. A pawnbroker, a job seeker, and a security guard who, in his civilian life, protects Jewish institutions in Vienna. But today they are infantrymen, members of the 3rd Platoon, 2nd Company of the Lower Austria Jäger Battalion. One of those militia units that form the core of the Austrian Armed Forces. Around 40,000 militia soldiers stand in contrast to 15,000 professional soldiers in the Austrian Armed Forces. National defense in Austria is not outsourced to a small warrior caste; it is a general civic duty.

This also has its drawbacks. Militia soldiers rarely train. Every two years, they undergo a major training exercise, which until now has primarily focused on police support activities: border operations, COVID-19 response, crowd control at Airpower, and guard duty at critical infrastructure. “But the threat situation, as you all know, has changed dramatically,” says Brigadier Christian Habersatter, commander of the higher-level 3rd Jäger Brigade and later military commander of Vienna, addressing the men.