Federal Army receives 16 billion euros: strong rearmament by 2032!

Federal Army receives 16 billion euros: strong rearmament by 2032!

The Austrian armed forces are facing a comprehensive investment program that is expected to total 16 billion euros by 2032. This was decided by the Defense Department to improve the current security situation and strengthen defense capabilities. The armed forces' budget is currently around one percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), which corresponds to around eight billion euros. But there are efforts to increase this budget to two percent of GDP by 2032.

This planning is a response to previous drastic cuts that have significantly compromised national defense. There is definitely political will to increase the budget, even if the growth path up to 2029 is not yet clearly defined. Investments are focused on various key areas of military equipment.

Focused investments in defense technology

The main investment measures include developments and purchases in air defense, drone defense and missile defense. A total of two billion euros is earmarked for medium-range missile defense, while four billion euros are budgeted for long-range missiles. In addition, the Eurofighters, which will have to be replaced in the mid-2030s, are also part of these conversion costs: 36 new aircraft would cost around six billion euros.

In addition, the Federal Army plans to purchase 225 Pandur personnel carriers for 1.8 billion euros, 2,200 light infantry vehicles and 850 off-road trucks. A modernization of the existing vehicle fleet also includes the purchase of new engineer and recovery vehicles as well as an extension of the service life of the armored personnel carriers and battle tanks.

Personnel reinforcement and equipment

The current manpower of the Federal Army, including the militia, is 55,000 soldiers. The plan is to further increase this number to meet future needs. In order to optimally equip the soldiers, new combat suits, combat helmets, combat boots, night vision devices, NBC protective suits and assault rifles are purchased. These purchases are part of a comprehensive concept to strengthen military equipment and operational readiness.

For detailed information, those interested can visit the official website of the Armed Forces, where the budget for 2025 is also presented. This shows that the Austrian military is investing in the future with clear strategies and investments in order to meet the challenges in defense. Further information can be found at bundesheer.at.

Overall, this project represents a significant step towards improving the security situation in Austria and ensuring an efficient armed forces, as well The press reported.