Armed Forces invests despite austerity measures: New technologies for the future!

Armed Forces invests despite austerity measures: New technologies for the future!

The Austrian Defense Minister Klaudia Thanner confirmed today that despite existing austerity budgets, all planned investments for national defense will also be implemented. The focus of the savings should continue to be on administration, public relations, advertisements and events. This decision is linked to the recovery plan 2032+, which is firmly anchored in the new double budget 2025/26 and underlines the need to restore military capabilities after years of reduced resources Salzburg24.

The Federal Army's budget for 2025 will increase by 18 percent, which corresponds to 725 million euros, compared to the previous year. Without the authorizations, there would be an increase of 349.1 million euros (8.6 percent). For 2026, the ministry is planning a further increase of 369.8 million euros (8.4 percent). As in previous years, the majority of the budget will go to personnel (45 percent), followed by investments (31.4 percent) and operating costs (23.7 percent). Troop service.

Strategic direction

The military-strategic situation in Europe remains tense. The Federal Army's development plan, including the guidelines of the armed forces profile "Our Army" and the National Defense Financing Act, aims to significantly restore combat competence. Particularly after the experiences of the Ukraine war, the focus is on defending against sub-conventional attacks on the state and population. The Federal Army therefore sees itself as having a duty to make its military capabilities more modern and robust.

A central part of the plan is the acquisition of new technologies. Among other things, investments are planned in new drones for monitoring and combating ground targets as well as expanding the fleet of personnel carrier tanks (Pandur). New transport helicopters (Black Hawk) and modern transport machines (Embraer C-390) are also on the shopping list. Furthermore, the order for the Sky Shield medium-range missile defense will be completed this year, while the successor to the Eurofighter and the long-range anti-aircraft missiles require separate financing Salzburg24.

Future outlook and training measures

For the years 2025 and 2026, cost optimizations of 70 million euros and 91.8 million euros, mainly in administration, are planned. In addition, the armed forces' infrastructure, which is suffering from a backlog of investment, needs to be improved. Improvement measures are on the agenda to ensure soldiers receive modern training and equipment as well as a self-sufficient and sustainable infrastructure for military operations Troop service.

The analysis of the existing structures has shown that a comprehensive realignment is necessary. The integration of an extensive reaction force, which consists of various branches of the armed forces, as well as an intensification of exercises and training operations are essential. The ÖBH 2032+ recovery plan will aim to make the Austrian armed forces powerful and modernized by 2032 in order to be able to respond optimally to current and future threats.