Austrian Air Force

Order of Battle · Austria

Austrian Air Force

Luftstreitkräfte

The Austrian Air Force (Luftstreitkräfte) is the air arm of a permanently neutral state: heir to the k.u.k. aviators of the First World War and to a small First Republic air force absorbed by Germany in 1938, it was rebuilt from eight Soviet-donated trainers after 1955, spent decades forbidden to carry guided missiles, bought its first supersonic fighters second-hand in the 1980s, and in 2026 flies 15 contested Tranche 1 Eurofighters while ordering M-346FA jets, C-390 transports, AW169 and Black Hawk helicopters and planning 36 new fighters.

National markingA white equilateral triangle, point down, on a red disc: the red-white-red of the national flag
Low-visibilityThe triangle in subdued grey tones
15Combat aircraft
7Active air bases
1955Founded
23Types retired
Photo: Bernardo Fernandez copado / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
CountryAustriaFounded1955StatusActiveHeadquartersSalzburgCommanderGerfried Promberger
The story

The Austrian Air Force story: k.u.k. aviators, eight Soviet trainers and a neutral state’s long fighter argument

1912–1938: from the k.u.k. aviators to a secret air force

Austrian military flying began in the Habsburg army. The k.u.k. aviation troops, reorganised in 1912 under Major Emil Uzelac, went to war in 1914 with 39 serviceable aircraft and 85 pilots and fought on four fronts, from Russia and Serbia to the Italian Alps; Godwin von Brumowski, the leading ace, is credited with 35 confirmed victories (some sources say 40). The war cost the service dearly and the Treaty of Saint-Germain then banned military flying outright. The First Republic rebuilt anyway, in secret: pilots trained from 1928, the first combat aircraft, Italian Fiat CR.20 biplanes, arrived in 1933, and by July 1935 there were 76 aircraft. Two air regiments, in Vienna and Graz, were formed, and the national marking was adopted in 1936. In March 1938 the Anschluss ended it without a shot: the regiments were taken into the German Luftwaffe, and Wikipedia records that 36 Fiat CR.32 fighters were passed on to Hungary.

1955–1972: starting again with eight Soviet trainers

The State Treaty of 15 May 1955 restored independence and brought permanent neutrality, and with it Article 13’s ban on guided missiles. The new air arm started from nothing. An airfield command was set up at Langenlebarn on 18 October 1955; the Soviet Union donated four Yak-18 and four Yak-11 trainers; the first helicopter, a Bell 47G2, was flown in from Paris on 4 April 1956; and a Kommando der Luftstreitkräfte was formed on 10 January 1957. The first jets were de Havilland Vampires in 1957, Fouga Magisters followed in 1959, and on 6 July 1961 fifteen Saab J 29F "flying barrels" landed in Vienna, the first of 30. When Hungary rose in October 1956, the private chronology of the service records a "serious lack of aircraft and air defence"; Austria could watch its airspace but not defend it. In 1970 the first of 40 Saab 105Ö arrived to replace the Tunnan, a trainer and light attack jet that would serve for fifty years.

1968–2005: missiles banned, the Draken debate and the Yugoslav wake-up call

The Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in August 1968 exposed the problem again: the ministry records a partial alert and air surveillance flights, and the same chronology notes regular violations by Soviet aircraft and helicopters. A radar network, begun at Kolomannsberg in 1968 and completed as the Goldhaube system in 1986, gave Austria eyes. A proper interceptor took far longer. In 1981 the National Defence Council unanimously recommended 24 Mirage 50s, which were never bought; instead Austria took 24 second-hand Swedish J 35D Drakens, rebuilt as the J 35Ö, the first of them handed over in 1987 and all 24 in Austria by July 1989. The deal was fiercely contested at home, and the aircraft arrived armed only with two 30 mm cannon. When the Yugoslav wars broke out, a Yugoslav MiG-21 reached as far as Graz on 28 June 1991 according to Wikipedia; Austria declared the missile ban obsolete and signed for AIM-9 Sidewinders in 1993. The Drakens flew until 31 December 2005, bridged by 12 Swiss F-5E Tigers leased until 30 June 2008.

2002–2019: the Eurofighter, the 2007 settlement and three inquiries

The Draken’s successor became Austria’s longest-running defence scandal. On 2 July 2002 the government chose the Eurofighter over the Gripen and the F-16; Parliament approved 18 on 11 June 2003 and the contract, worth 1.969 billion euros, was signed on 1 July 2003 with counter-trade promised at 240 per cent of the price. After a first parliamentary inquiry in 2006–2007, the new Social Democrat defence minister Norbert Darabos settled with the maker in June 2007: 15 aircraft instead of 18, all Tranche 1 instead of Tranche 2, six of them nearly new rather than new, and without the self-protection and electro-optical systems. The first landed at Zeltweg on 12 July 2007 and the fifteenth on 24 September 2009. The Court of Audit found in 2013 that only 267 million of the 370 million euros claimed as savings could be verified. In February 2017 minister Hans Peter Doskozil filed a fraud complaint against Airbus, putting the damage at about 1.1 billion euros; Airbus gave no substantive response, and Wikipedia records that the Austrian courts ended the fraud case in 2020 for lack of evidence. Further inquiries sat in 2017 and 2018–2019, with the parties blaming each other’s governments.

The helicopter fleet: Galtür 1999 and the Black Hawk

Helicopters did more of the air force’s real work. Alouette IIs and IIIs, Agusta-Bell 204s and 206s, Bell OH-58 Kiowas from 1976 and Agusta-Bell 212s became the backbone of disaster relief in an alpine country. The turning point was the avalanche at Galtür in Tyrol in February 1999: the ministry records 47 helicopters flying Austria’s largest airlift with international help, carrying 18,132 people and 270 tonnes in 910 flying hours — and foreign heavy helicopters were needed. On 29 December 2000 Austria signed for nine S-70A Black Hawks; the first landed at Langenlebarn on 18 October 2002. Three used C-130K Hercules from Britain, contracted on 22 May 2002, followed in 2003 and gave the Bundesheer its first strategic reach, flying tsunami relief in 2004–2005 and supplying the Chad mission in 2008. The good side was a fleet that saved lives every winter; the weak side was a fixed-wing combat force that remained small, under-flown and politically radioactive.

2020–2026: the Saab 105 gap, a buying spree and the fighter question

The 2020s brought a gap and then a spending spree. The Court of Audit had found in 2013 that no Eurofighter pilot reached full operational status, with 70–74 flying hours a year against 110 needed. The Saab 105 was retired in 2020 without a successor, and jet training moved to Italy and Germany. Since then, under the Aufbauplan 2032+, the budget has risen to 4.391 billion euros in 2025 and 4.761 billion in 2026: 36 AW169 helicopters to replace the Alouette III and OH-58, 12 new UH-60Ms plus three refurbished UH-60Ls, four Embraer C-390s bought with the Netherlands, and 12 Leonardo M-346FA jets, finalised on 29 November 2025. Austria joined Sky Shield on 7 July 2023 with a statement that it will not join an alliance. What remains open is the fighter: on 25 March 2026 the ministry said it wants 36 new jets for about 10 billion euros, with a political decision at the end of 2027 or early 2028, because from 2030 Austria expects to be the last operator of the Tranche 1 Eurofighter.

The State Treaty of 15 May 1955 restored independence and brought permanent neutrality, and with it Article 13’s ban on guided missiles. The new air arm started from nothing.Austrian Air Force · verified 2026-09-29
At a glance

The Austrian Air Force in numbers

Service

Native name
LuftstreitkräfteThe name the Bundesheer uses on bundesheer.at and bmlv.gv.at. German is Austria’s only nationwide official language. The English Wikipedia article is titled Austrian Air Force; the 1927–1938 service has its own article
Founded
18 October 1955Date the first airfield command was set up at Langenlebarn (service chronology). The ministry dates the Kommando der Luftstreitkräfte to 10 January 1957; the service society gives 9 December 1955 for its activation. Lineage: k.u.k. aviation troops 1912–1918 and the First Republic air arm, secretly built from 1928 and absorbed in 1938
Part of
Austrian Armed Forces (Bundesheer)Directorate 2 of the ministry; the Air Force Command controls the Air Surveillance Command, the Air Support Command and the Air Force and Air Defence School
Headquarters
Air Force Command, SalzburgSchwarzenberg-Kaserne, Wals bei Salzburg; the command was set up in January 2017. Wikipedia gives the Rossauer barracks in Vienna, which houses the ministry
Commander
Maj. Gen. Gerfried PrombergerNamed head of the air force directorate on 12 January 2024; also Air Chief
Minister of Defence
Klaudia TannerQuoted as minister on the M-346, C-390 and Black Hawk contracts and at the January 2026 air defence handover

Strength

Personnel
3,500–4,300The ministry’s Air Force Command page gives 3,500 soldiers and civilians and 120 aircraft; Wikipedia gives 4,300 personnel. The ministry figure is undated and excludes the air defence units added in January 2026
Combat aircraft
  • Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 1 — 15

Delivered 12 July 2007 to 24 September 2009. 12 M-346FA on order for 2028 onwards; 36 new fighters planned

Transport
  • C-130K Hercules — 2
  • Pilatus PC-6 Turbo Porter — about 8

Three Hercules from 2003; the first was retired in November 2025. Four C-390s arrive from 2028. The PC-6 figure is Wikipedia’s

Helicopters
  • S-70A-42 Black Hawk — 9
  • Agusta-Bell 212 — about 22
  • AW169 — 11 AW169B delivered (June 2026)
  • Bell OH-58B Kiowa — about 10

AB 212 and OH-58 counts are Wikipedia’s; the OH-58 goes in 2028 and the AB 212 by the end of the decade

Trainers
  • Pilatus PC-7 — about 12
  • Diamond DA40 NG — 4

Wikipedia counts. Jet training has been done in Italy and Germany since the Saab 105 was retired in 2020

Defence budget
4.761 billion euros (2026)4.391 billion in 2025. The ministry gives the 2025 rise as 9.4 per cent, Parliament’s budget service as 8.6 per cent; 2 per cent of GDP is a target for 2032

Infrastructure

Air bases
  • Zeltweg (Hinterstoisser) — Eurofighter, Überwachungsgeschwader
  • Linz-Hörsching (Vogler) — Hercules, AB 212; UH-60M and M-346 from 2028
  • Langenlebarn (Leopold Figl – General Pabisch) — S-70A Black Hawk, OH-58, PC-6, AW169; school
  • Aigen im Ennstal (Fiala-Fernbrugg) — helicopters

Wikipedia counts eight maintained airfields; support points include Wiener Neustadt, Klagenfurt and Schwaz

Radar surveillance
Goldhaube systemKolomannsberg radar from 1 January 1968; St. Niten from 1976; Goldhaube officially commissioned in May 1986
Air policing
Eurofighters at ZeltwegThe ministry says the pilots are permanently available for air policing. Daily alert hours are not published; the minister cited military confidentiality
Ground-based air defence
Fliegerabwehrbataillon 2 and 8Battalion 8 formed from Jägerbataillon 8 and handed to the air force on 8 January 2026; IRIS-T SLM and a long-range system planned under Sky Shield
Historic fields
  • Wien-Aspern — First Republic
  • Graz-Thalerhof — First Republic
  • Wels, Wiener Neustadt, Klagenfurt — First Republic

Wikipedia lists eight First Republic aerodromes including Zeltweg and Aigen

Structure

How the Austrian Air Force is organised

One command in Salzburg over Air Surveillance, Air Support and the Air Force and Air Defence School, with ground-based air defence added in January 2026. All 15 Eurofighters fly from Zeltweg; transport flies from Hörsching and the helicopters from Langenlebarn and Aigen im Ennstal. The commander heads Directorate 2 of the defence ministry and also holds the title Air Chief.

GP

Major General (Generalmajor)Gerfried PrombergerCommander of the Air Force and Air Chief (Luftstreitkräfte, Direktion 2) · in office since 2024
Air Force CommandKommando Luftstreitkräfte
Headquarters

Air Force Command

Kommando Luftstreitkräfte
Salzburg

Directorate 2 of the defence ministry, headed since 12 January 2024 by Gerfried Promberger, now a major general, who also holds the title Air Chief. The command was set up in January 2017 at the Schwarzenberg barracks in Wals, near Salzburg.

Front line

Air Surveillance

Luftraumüberwachung
Zeltweg

Austria’s only fighter unit, the Überwachungsgeschwader, with 15 Tranche 1 Eurofighters at Zeltweg; its pilots are, in the ministry’s words, permanently available for air policing. The daily alert hours are not published.

Transport and helicopters

Air Support

Luftunterstützung
Hörsching, Langenlebarn, Aigen im Ennstal

C-130K Hercules and AB 212s at Hörsching, the seat of the Air Support Command; the Air Support Wing with Black Hawks, Kiowas, AW169s and PC-6s at Langenlebarn; and the AW169 squadron at Aigen im Ennstal.

Training

Air Force and Air Defence School

Basic and advanced flying on the PC-7. Jet training has been done in Italy and Germany since the Saab 105 was retired in 2020, until 12 M-346FAs arrive at Hörsching from 2028.

Air defence

Air defence battalions

Fliegerabwehrbataillon 2 and 8

Ground-based air defence joined the air force on 8 January 2026, when Jägerbataillon 8 became Fliegerabwehrbataillon 8. IRIS-T SLM and a long-range system are planned under Sky Shield, which Austria joined in 2023 while stating that it will not join an alliance.

In service

What the Austrian Air Force flies today

Every type on charge, linked to its Book of Beasts page where one exists. Counts are aircraft on the books, not aircraft available on a given day.

Type Role In service Since Units Notes
Eurofighter EF 2000 Typhoon (Tranche 1)In service Interceptor and air policing 15 2007 15 single-seaters; 18 were ordered in 2003 and cut to 15 in the settlement of June 2007.
Lockheed C-130K HerculesIn service Tactical transport 2 2003 Three bought used from the RAF (contract 22 May 2002); the first was retired in November 2025, the other two go as the C-390 arrives by 2030.
Pilatus PC-6 Turbo PorterIn service Utility transport 8 About 8 in service per Wikipedia; the German Wikipedia says 12 were bought to replace the Beaver.
Pilatus PC-7 Turbo TrainerIn service Basic and advanced trainer 12 About 12 in service per Wikipedia; delivery total not confirmed.
Diamond DA40 NGIn service Elementary trainer 4 Four per Wikipedia.
Sikorsky S-70A-42 Black HawkIn service Transport and rescue helicopter 9 2002 Nine, contracted 29 December 2000 after Galtür; 12 new UH-60M and three refurbished ex-US Army UH-60L to follow, 24 in all.
Agusta-Bell AB 212In service Medium transport helicopter 22 About 22 per Wikipedia; delivery total not confirmed.
Leonardo AW169 (AW169B and AW169MA) "Lion"In service Multi-role and training helicopter 11 2022 11 AW169B delivered by June 2026 of 36 ordered (18 plus an 18-aircraft option): 12 trainers and 24 armed AW169MA.
Bell OH-58B KiowaIn service Light armed reconnaissance helicopter 10 1976 12 from 1976; about 10 remain per Wikipedia.
AB 21222
Eurofighter15
PC-712
AW16911
OH-5810
S-70A9
PC-68
DA404

On order

Type Ordered First delivery Notes
Leonardo M-346FAOn order 12 2028 Decision announced 28 December 2024 as a government-to-government purchase from Italy; finalised 29 November 2025 at about 1.5 billion euros including weapons, simulator, training and support, with about 400 million euros of industrial cooperation.

More

Based at Linz-Hörsching; replaces the Saab 105 and brings jet training back to Austria.
Embraer C-390 MillenniumOn order 4 2028 Contract signed with the Netherlands (five Dutch aircraft) in July 2024 at Farnborough; about 1 billion euros for the Austrian package. All four by 2030, to be based at Hörsching.

More

ORF reported an expected 130–150 million euros per aircraft in 2023.
Sikorsky UH-60M Black HawkOn order 12 2028 Contract signed 30 June 2024 through US Foreign Military Sales, 715 million euros including logistics, equipment and training. Based at Hörsching; replaces the AB 212.
Sikorsky UH-60L Black Hawk (refurbished ex-US Army)On order 3 2026 Bought after a plan to take three from Jordan failed on US export law; one due in 2026 and two in 2027, per Militär Aktuell.
Leonardo AW169MA and AW169BOn order 25 2022 36 ordered, 11 delivered by June 2026; the first armed AW169MA was expected by October 2026 and the rest by 2028.
Medium-altitude long-endurance droneOn order 12 2029 Listed by Wikipedia as 12 armed drones for service entry in 2029; not confirmed on an official page checked.
Formerly operated

Every type the Austrian Air Force has retired

23 types, from the k.u.k. Luftfahrtruppen aircraft (Albatros, Brandenburg, Lohner and others) to the Aérospatiale SA 316/319 Alouette III. Peak figures are airframes taken on charge over the whole service life, not fleet strength on any one date.

Type Role Peak Served Replaced by Notes
Aérospatiale SA 316/319 Alouette III Light utility and mountain rescue helicopter 28 1967–2024 AW169 28 per the German Wikipedia.
Saab 105Ö (105OE) Jet trainer and light attack 40 1970–2020 M-346FA 40 delivered 1970–72; 22 were still operational in August 2010.
Agusta-Bell AB 206A JetRanger Light helicopter 13 1969–2009 13.
Northrop F-5E Tiger II (leased from Switzerland) Interim interceptor 12 2004–2008 Eurofighter 12 leased.
Short SC.7 Skyvan 3M Light transport 2 1969–2007 C-130K 2.
Saab 35Ö Draken (J 35Ö) Interceptor 24 1987–2005 Eurofighter 24 ex-Swedish J 35D rebuilt as J 35Ö; plus one engineless ground trainer per the German Wikipedia.
Cessna L-19A/E Bird Dog Liaison and observation 29 1958–1997 22 L-19A and 7 L-19E.
Saab 91D Safir Primary trainer 24 1964–1993 24.
Agusta-Bell AB 204B Utility helicopter 26 1963–1982 26.
Sikorsky S-65 (CH-53) Heavy transport helicopter 2 1970–1981 2.
de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver Utility transport 6 1960–1976 PC-6 6.
Bell 47G / H-13H Sioux and Agusta-Bell AB 47G2 Light helicopter 27 1956–1976 1 Bell 47G2, 9 AB 47G2 and 17 H-13H per the German Wikipedia.
Sud Aviation Alouette II Light helicopter 16 1958–1975 16.
Saab J 29F Tunnan Fighter-bomber 30 1961–1972 Saab 105Ö 30, delivered in two batches of 15.
de Havilland DH.100/DH.115 Vampire First jet and jet trainer 9 1957–1972 9 per the German Wikipedia.
Fouga CM.170 Magister Jet trainer 18 1959–1972 18 per the German Wikipedia.
North American LT-6G Texan Advanced trainer 10 1959–1971 10.
Yakovlev Yak-11 and Yak-18 Trainers 8 1955–1965 Four of each, donated by the Soviet Union.
Westland S-55 Whirlwind Utility helicopter 10 1958–1965 10.
Fiat CR.32 Fighter (First Republic) 36 1936–1938 36 in fighter squadrons 4–6 in March 1938.
Fiat CR.20 / CR.20bis Fighter (First Republic) 36 1933–1938 Five delivered in August 1933; 36 CR.20bis in fighter squadrons 1–3 in March 1938.
Caproni Ca.133, Focke-Wulf Fw 58, IMAM Ro.37, Fiat A.120 and Fw 44 Bombers, reconnaissance and trainers (First Republic) 1933–1938
k.u.k. Luftfahrtruppen aircraft (Albatros, Brandenburg, Lohner and others) First World War army and naval aviation 550 1912–1918 39 operational aircraft in 1914; peak strength about 550; 413 seaplanes built for the navy.
Air bases

Where the Austrian Air Force flies from

Black pins are active bases, hollow pins the ones that have closed. Four air bases do the flying — Zeltweg, Hörsching, Langenlebarn and Aigen im Ennstal — with Wiener Neustadt, Austria’s first airfield, and helicopter support points at Klagenfurt and Vomp. Graz-Thalerhof, a Draken base, closed to military flying in 2008. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.

Active air base Closed or reserveClick a pin to open the base page
Base ICAO Status Runway Units and aircraft
Aigen im EnnstalStyria (Steiermark) LOXA Active 06/24925 mgrass
  • Mehrzweckhubschrauberstaffel (Multi-Purpose Helicopter Squadron): Leonardo AW169 "Lion" (from 2022), Aérospatiale Alouette III (at Aigen December 1973–2023), Sud Aviation Alouette II (to 9 April 1975)
  • Bombenstaffel 1 (Bomber Squadron 1), First Republic: Caproni Ca.133, Focke-Wulf Fw 58
Klagenfurt Helicopter Support BaseCarinthia (Kärnten) LOWK Active 10L/28R2,720 mbitumen10R/28L710 mgrass
LangenlebarnLower Austria (Niederösterreich) LOXT Active 08L/26R1,400 mconcrete08R/26L960 mgrass05/23900 mgrass13/31750 mgrass
  • Luftunterstützungsgeschwader (Air Support Wing)
  • Medium transport helicopter squadron (Mittlere Transporthubschrauberstaffel): Sikorsky S-70A-42 Black Hawk (9)
  • Light helicopter squadron (OH-58 Kiowa): Bell OH-58B Kiowa
  • AW169 helicopters (operational and training): Leonardo AW169B and AW169MA "Lion"
  • Fixed-wing squadron (Flächenstaffel): Pilatus PC-6 Turbo Porter
  • Fliegerwerft 1 (Aircraft Maintenance Depot 1)
  • Alouette III flight: Aérospatiale Alouette III
Linz-HörschingUpper Austria (Oberösterreich) LOWL Active 08/263,000 mbitumen
  • Kommando Luftunterstützung (Air Support Command)
  • Lufttransportstaffel (Air Transport Squadron): Lockheed C-130K Hercules (2)
  • Two medium transport helicopter squadrons (Agusta-Bell 212): Agusta-Bell AB 212
  • Fliegerwerft 3 (Aircraft Maintenance Depot 3)
  • Saab 105Ö jet squadrons (Düsentrainerstaffel): Saab 105Ö
  • Jagdbombergeschwader (Saab J 29F): Saab J 29F Tunnan
  • Flying school company and first helicopter squadron: Yakovlev Yak-11, Bell 47G-2
Vomp Helicopter Support PointTyrol (Tirol) Active
  • Helicopter support point Vomp: Bundesheer helicopters deployed from eastern Austria (types vary)
Wiener Neustadt WestLower Austria (Niederösterreich) LOXN Active 18L/36R1,620 mgrass14L/32R940 mgrass14R/32L940 mgrass18R/36L870 mgrass
  • Airfield Command Wiener Neustadt (Airfield Command)
  • Jagdkommando (special forces)
  • Academy squadron of the Theresian Military Academy: First Republic training aircraft (types UNVERIFIED)
  • k.u.k. military flying school and Oeffag aircraft factory: Etrich Taube; Oeffag-built Albatros D.II and D.III
ZeltwegStyria (Steiermark) LOXZ Active 08R/26L2,750 m08L/26R1,480 mgrass02/20870 mgrass
Graz-ThalerhofStyria (Steiermark) LOWG Closed 2008 16C/34C3,000 mbitumen16R/34L760 mgrass16L/34R640 mgrass
Vienna-AspernVienna (Wien) Closed 1977
  • 1st Air Regiment (Fliegerregiment 1), First Republic: First Republic fighters and reconnaissance aircraft (per-base allocation UNVERIFIED)

No air base matches that search.

Order of battle

Who is stationed where in the Austrian Air Force

Flying units by base, current units first. Every Eurofighter belongs to one unit, the Überwachungsgeschwader at Zeltweg; the transports, helicopters and PC-6s belong to Air Support at Hörsching, Langenlebarn and Aigen im Ennstal. First Republic units of the 1930s appear under the fields they flew from, and where sources give different dates, the unit note says so.

Zeltweg Air Base · LOXZAir Surveillance
Überwachungsgeschwader (Surveillance Wing)Fighter wing (air policing) · active
Eurofighter EF 2000 Typhoon Tranche 1 (15)
Basic jet-conversion training element (PC-7 and DA40)Training flight · active
Pilatus PC-7 Turbo Trainer, Diamond DA40 NG
Fliegerabwehrbataillon 2 (Air Defence Battalion 2)Ground-based air defence battalion · active
Fliegerwerft 2 (Aircraft Maintenance Depot 2)Aircraft maintenance depot · active
Überwachungsgeschwader, Draken squadron1988–2005
Saab 35Ö Draken (J 35Ö)
Linz-Hörsching Air Base · LOWLAir Support Command
Kommando Luftunterstützung (Air Support Command)Air support command headquarters · active
Lufttransportstaffel (Air Transport Squadron)Tactical transport squadron · active
Lockheed C-130K Hercules (2)
Two medium transport helicopter squadrons (Agusta-Bell 212)Transport helicopter squadrons · active
Agusta-Bell AB 212
Fliegerwerft 3 (Aircraft Maintenance Depot 3)Aircraft maintenance depot · active
Saab 105Ö jet squadrons (Düsentrainerstaffel)1970–2020
Saab 105Ö
Jagdbombergeschwader (Saab J 29F)1962–1972
Saab J 29F Tunnan
Flying school company and first helicopter squadron1956–1958
Yakovlev Yak-11, Bell 47G-2
Langenlebarn Air Base · LOXTLuftunterstützungsgeschwader
Luftunterstützungsgeschwader (Air Support Wing)Helicopter and light transport wing · active
Medium transport helicopter squadron (Mittlere Transporthubschrauberstaffel)Transport helicopter squadron · active
Sikorsky S-70A-42 Black Hawk (9)
Light helicopter squadron (OH-58 Kiowa)Light armed reconnaissance and liaison helicopter squadron · active
Bell OH-58B Kiowa
AW169 helicopters (operational and training)Multi-role and training helicopters · active
Leonardo AW169B and AW169MA "Lion"
Fixed-wing squadron (Flächenstaffel)Light transport squadron · active
Pilatus PC-6 Turbo Porter
Fliegerwerft 1 (Aircraft Maintenance Depot 1)Aircraft maintenance depot · active
Alouette III flight
Aérospatiale Alouette III
Aigen im Ennstal Air Base · LOXAAir Support; administered by the Federal Ministry of Defence
Mehrzweckhubschrauberstaffel (Multi-Purpose Helicopter Squadron)Light utility and mountain rescue helicopter squadron · active
Leonardo AW169 "Lion" (from 2022), Aérospatiale Alouette III (at Aigen December 1973–2023), Sud Aviation Alouette II (to 9 April 1975)
Bombenstaffel 1 (Bomber Squadron 1), First Republic1937–1938
Caproni Ca.133, Focke-Wulf Fw 58
Wiener Neustadt West Airfield · LOXNAirfield Command Wiener Neustadt, Luftunterstützungsgeschwader; administered by the Federal Ministry of Defence
Airfield Command Wiener Neustadt (Airfield Command) (Flugplatzkommando Wiener Neustadt)Airfield command · active
Jagdkommando (special forces)Special forces unit · army
Academy squadron of the Theresian Military Academy1934–1938
First Republic training aircraft (types UNVERIFIED)
k.u.k. military flying school and Oeffag aircraft factory1911–1918
Etrich Taube; Oeffag-built Albatros D.II and D.III
Klagenfurt Helicopter Support Base · LOWKHelicopter support point under Air Support; manned from the flight operations company at Aigen
Hubschrauberstützpunkt Klagenfurt (helicopter detachment)Rescue and utility helicopter detachment · active
Alouette III (to 2023), S-70 Black Hawk (as available)
Vomp Helicopter Support Point · Air Support
Helicopter support point VompSeasonal helicopter detachment · active
Bundesheer helicopters deployed from eastern Austria (types vary)

No unit matches that search.

Timeline

Austrian Air Force milestones, 1914 to today

1912

The k.u.k. aviation service is reorganised under Major Emil Uzelac; it goes to war in 1914 with 39 operational aircraft and 85 pilots.

1918

3 November: the armistice ends the Habsburg air service; the Treaty of Saint-Germain later bans military flying.

1933

The secret First Republic air force receives its first combat aircraft, Fiat CR.20s from Italy; 76 aircraft by July 1935.

1938

March: the Anschluss. The two air regiments are absorbed into the German Luftwaffe without resistance.

1955

15 May: State Treaty signed. 18 October: an airfield command is set up at Langenlebarn; the Soviet Union donates four Yak-11 and four Yak-18.

1956

4 April: the first helicopter, a Bell 47G2, arrives. October–November: the Hungarian crisis finds the air arm with almost no aircraft or air defence.

1957

10 January: the Kommando der Luftstreitkräfte is formed; the first Vampire jets arrive.

1961

6 July: the first 15 Saab J 29F land in Vienna; 30 in all.

1968

August: partial alert over the invasion of Czechoslovakia; Soviet aircraft and helicopters repeatedly violate Austrian airspace.

1970

July: the first of 40 Saab 105Ö is delivered.

1987

The first of 24 second-hand Saab 35Ö Drakens is handed over; all are in Austria by July 1989.

1991

Yugoslav wars: a Yugoslav MiG-21 reaches Graz on 28 June, per Wikipedia. The missile ban is declared obsolete; Sidewinders are ordered in 1993.

1999

February: Galtür avalanche; 47 helicopters fly 18,132 people out in Austria’s largest airlift, leading to the Black Hawk purchase.

2003

1 July: contract for 18 Eurofighters. The first C-130K Hercules arrive.

2007

June: the Darabos settlement cuts the order to 15 Tranche 1 aircraft. 12 July: the first Eurofighter lands at Zeltweg.

2017

February: fraud complaint against Airbus; a parliamentary inquiry sits from March to September. January: the Air Force Command is set up in Salzburg.

2024

30 June: 12 UH-60M ordered. July: four C-390 ordered with the Netherlands. 28 December: 12 M-346FA chosen, four years after the Saab 105 was retired in December 2020.

2026

8 January: air defence battalions join the air force. 25 March: the ministry sets out a plan for 36 new fighters.

Combat record

Every war and crisis the Austrian Air Force has faced

Sorties and losses where the record gives them, and an honest blank where it does not.

7conflicts
1914First
0Aircraft lost
0Killed
  • First World War 1914–1918 Reconnaissance, artillery spotting, bombing and fighter operations for the Habsburg army and navy
  • The Anschluss 1938 Did not resist; the air force was absorbed into the German Luftwaffe
  • Hungarian crisis border deployment 1956 The army guarded the border; the new air arm had almost no aircraft or air defence to protect the airspace
  • Czechoslovak crisis 1968 Partial alert and air surveillance flights while Warsaw Pact aircraft violated Austrian airspace
  • Security deployment during the Yugoslav wars 1991 Air surveillance and interception of Yugoslav aircraft violating Austrian airspace during the Ten-Day War in Slovenia

Open the full combat record

From the magazine

Austrian Air Force news from Afterburner

Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the Austrian Air Force and the aircraft it flies. This list refreshes itself — new Afterburner stories appear here automatically.

All stories in Afterburner

Questions & Answers

Everything people ask about the Austrian Air Force

What is the Austrian Air Force called in German?
Luftstreitkräfte, the name the Bundesheer uses on bundesheer.at and bmlv.gv.at. It is commanded by the Kommando Luftstreitkräfte in Salzburg. English Wikipedia’s article is titled Austrian Air Force; the 1927–1938 service of the First Republic has a separate article.
What aircraft does the Austrian Air Force fly in 2026?
Its only fighter is the Eurofighter Typhoon, 15 Tranche 1 aircraft at Zeltweg. It also flies two C-130K Hercules, PC-6 Turbo Porters, PC-7 and DA40 trainers, and nine S-70A Black Hawks, AB 212s, OH-58 Kiowas and new AW169s. Twelve M-346FA jets and four C-390s arrive from 2028.
How many Eurofighters does Austria have, and why only 15?
Fifteen. Austria ordered 18 in 2003, but in June 2007 defence minister Norbert Darabos settled with the manufacturer for 15 older Tranche 1 aircraft, six of them nearly new, without self-protection and electro-optical systems. The Court of Audit later found that only 267 million of the 370 million euros claimed as savings could be verified.
Why was the Eurofighter purchase so controversial?
Because of the price, the counter-trade promises and allegations of corruption. Parliament held inquiries in 2006–2007, 2017 and 2018–2019, and in 2017 the defence ministry filed a fraud complaint against Airbus, putting the damage at about 1.1 billion euros. Wikipedia records that the Austrian courts ended the fraud case in 2020 for lack of evidence, and news.at reports that Airbus admitted to US authorities in 2020 to 55 million euros of "political contributions" in Austria. The parties still blame each other: the People’s Party and Freedom Party criticise the 2007 settlement, the Social Democrats and Greens the original 2002–2003 deal.
What will replace the Eurofighter?
No type has been chosen. On 25 March 2026 the ministry said it wants 36 new fighters for about 10 billion euros and is looking at the Eurofighter, Rafale, F-35, Gripen, F-15 and F-16 Block 70, among others. A political funding decision is expected at the end of 2027 or early 2028, with first deliveries from 2032.
Why did Austria have fighters without missiles?
Article 13 of the 1955 State Treaty banned guided missiles, so the Saab Draken arrived in 1987 with only two 30 mm cannon. After Yugoslav aircraft violated Austrian airspace in 1991 — one MiG-21 reached Graz, per Wikipedia — Austria declared the clause obsolete and ordered AIM-9 Sidewinders in 1993.
What replaced the Saab 105?
Nothing at first. The Saab 105, 40 of which arrived from 1970, was retired in December 2020 and jet training moved to Italy and Germany. Austria chose 12 Leonardo M-346FA jets in December 2024 and finalised the deal on 29 November 2025 for about 1.5 billion euros; they will fly from Linz-Hörsching from 2028.
Is Austria part of Sky Shield even though it is neutral?
Yes. Defence minister Klaudia Tanner signed the European Sky Shield Initiative declaration on 7 July 2023 together with Switzerland, with an added statement excluding membership of any military alliance or foreign bases on Austrian soil. The ministry says participation covers joint procurement and training only, with any weapons used under national control; Austria plans IRIS-T SLM and a long-range system.
What was the Austrian air force before 1955?
Two earlier services. The k.u.k. aviation troops of Austria-Hungary fought the First World War, with aces such as Godwin von Brumowski, credited with 35 victories. The First Republic then built a secret air force from 1928, with Italian Fiat fighters from 1933, which was absorbed into the German Luftwaffe without resistance at the Anschluss in March 1938.
What did the air force do after the Galtür avalanche?
It led the largest airlift in Austrian history. In February 1999, 47 Austrian and foreign helicopters flew 18,132 people and 270 tonnes of goods out of the Paznaun valley in 910 flying hours. The need for heavier helicopters led to the purchase of nine Black Hawks, signed on 29 December 2000.

Sources & Further Reading

Every fact, checked

Figures verified 2026-09-29. Order of Battle pages are regenerated from a single dataset; if a number here disagrees with a Book of Beasts page, this page is the more recent of the two.

Photographs: Photo: Bernardo Fernandez copado / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: Weißnichtmiristlangweilig / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) · Photo: Bundesheer Fotos / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Gerard van der Schaaf / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: StVeit Maps / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Rob Schleiffert from Holland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Martina Sindhuber / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0 de) · Photo: aceebee from Camberley, UK / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Charles from Port Chester, New York / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo (Swiss Air Force F-5E shown): Adrian Pingstone / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Wolfgang Hainzl / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo (Swiss Air Force Vampire shown): Kecko / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo (Magister in other markings shown): Julian Herzog / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) · Photo: Tiefkuehlfan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo (T-6 in other markings shown): Tony Hisgett / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo (Beaver in other markings shown): JustSomePics / Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · Photo: Noki0015 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo (AB 206 in other markings shown): Acroterion / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo (AB 47G-2 in other markings shown): Alan Wilson from Peterborough, Cambs, UK / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo (Danish S-55 shown): André Gerwing / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo (German CH-53G shown): André Gerwing / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Fortepan / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo (Albatros D.III shown): Hotolmo22 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)