Domestic operations
One of the central requirements of the Austrian Armed Forces is the fulfilment of domestic tasks. The AAF are to be in a position to provide the respective capabilities, including particularly law enforcement assistance and natural catastrophes, at all times. Moreover, the Austrian airspace is to be protected continuously.
In essence, 2012 was marked by the floods that happened in the Province of Styria in the summer.
Law enforcement assistance operations (sipol AssE
In 2012, law enforcement assistance included an anthrax alert incident, in which the alert was cancelled again after the first measures had been taken.
Disaster relief assistance operations
In 2012 the soldiers of the Austrian Armed Forces performed a total of approx. 14,743 person days with some 157,187 person hours of relief efforts following natural disasters and accidents of extraordinary magnitude.
The analysis of the last ten years clearly shows how diverse the requirements and challenges were after various natural disasters. Many widely scattered incidents called for a small number of specialised relief personnel over prolonged periods of time, while large-scale events, such as floods, required a high number of soldiers within a relatively short time span.
The 2012 assistance focused on the operations dealing with the damage following flood disasters and thunderstorms between 22 June and mid-September 2012, mostly in Styria, which in part led to large-area earth and mud slides and driftwood jams. Many Austrians still harbour vivid memories of the earth slides in the area of St. Lorenzen im Paltental in mind, where AAF relief forces arrived only a few hours after the incident. The main assistance task in that event was to deal with the direct climatic consequences (clearing up lines of communication and driftwood jams, supporting the re-establishment of the local infrastructure) on the one hand, and to rebuild bridges and footbridges, so that those people, who were cut off, could be reached and supplied again over land. Moreover, the Air Support Command provided helicopters for reconnaissance and evacuation in the disaster areas.
Since mid-June 2012 the predominantly affected areas had been located in the districts of Murtal and Liezen in Styria province and the Carinthian district of Wolfsberg. Thereby, two large-scale disaster areas were to be distinguished:
- The area of the Liesing and the Palten Valley, on both sides of the Schober Pass (districts of Liezen and Murtal);
- The area on both sides of the Obdach Sattel (districts of Murtal and Wolfsberg).
In the course of the relief operations, the deployed service personnel, wich included 400 national servicemen, conducted 125,000 person hours and, among many other tasks, constructed 28 bridges, 15 wooden earth stabilisation structures and 23 transversal structures.
In addition, the soldiers of the Austrian Armed Forces and, in particular, the engineers together with the Air Force supported the affected authorities.
In the winter months of 2012/2013, the Austrian Armed Forces maintained up to 15 avalanche platoons, made up of personnel with alpine training, across the alpine regions of the country. They are earmarked for disaster relief operations, especially for searching and rescuing persons that are buried under avalanches. Because of their rapid availability, they have been called upon successfully several times, together with AAF helicopters and in conjunction with civilian first responder organisations.
Operation-relevant aspects of airspace surveillance and air policing
Airspace surveillance is conducted by way of two airspace surveillance aircraft and one reserve aircraft. When the duty system of the airspace surveillance notes an unidentified aircraft or a foreign military aircraft without transit licence or when an aircraft without contact to the respective air control station enters the Austrian airspace, a "Priority A” scramble is initiated. The unknown intruder is identified and the intrusion into the Austrian airspace is documented accordingly. As required, follow-up measures, such as accompanying or conducting the aircraft into a specific area, are ordered.
In 2012, 31 "Priority A” scrambles documented the readiness of the Austrian airspace surveillance.
Support services
Like every year, the support rendered in 2012 covered a large spectrum, ranging from the Austrian Skiing Federation, over the training of rescue dogs for joint operations with the Austrian Forces Disaster Relief Unit (AFDRU) to events of charitable organisations. Special activities included constructing improvised bridges and border surveying.
The focus in 2012 lay on supporting the Youth Olympic Games 2012 in Tyrol province.
In so doing, AAF personnel supported the Games by carrying out approx. 190 tasks amounting to approx. 171,000 work hours. In supporting first responder organisations and during exercises with them, the Air Force provided approx. 420 flying hours. Thereby, approx. 3,000 persons, 160 tons of loads and 110,000 litres of extinguishing water were flown to their destinations. In addition, approx. 520 winch operations were carried out.