Goods in prohibited zone

Austrian Armed Forces intercept two small aircraft

The Austrian Armed Forces intercepted two small aircraft (symbolic image).

(Bild: stock.adobe.com (Symbolbild))

The Swiss Armed Forces have intercepted two unauthorized small aircraft from Switzerland. They had flown into the no-fly zone during the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Ministry of Defense announced on Sunday.

The Swiss authorities had requested support from Austria, whereupon a no-fly zone was established over parts of Vorarlberg and Tyrol. PC7 aircraft were deployed, intercepted the two small aircraft and escorted them to Switzerland.

"The DAEDALUS25 has shown how important cooperation is for securing airspace. Be it with interceptors or possible future systems that the Austrian Armed Forces envisage in the "ÖBH 2032+" development plan. I would like to thank our soldiers for their outstanding performance, who demonstrate their skills every day to protect Austria," said Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP).

1000 armed forces in action
More than 1000 soldiers and 20 aircraft were deployed to ensure the security of the World Economic Forum. Tasks included patrol and transport flights. 274 civilian flight permits were issued and monitored in this area.

The "Cross-border airspace surveillance" treaty with Switzerland has been in force since 2020. "This treaty buys important time to respond to non-military threats from the air. It enables the seamless tracking of suspicious civilian aircraft without interfering with national sovereignty. Military national defense tasks and the use of weapons in the territory of the other state are expressly prohibited," said the Ministry of Defense.