"Planning is complete"

Preparations for Sky Shield continue

Lieutenant General Bruno Hofbauer from the Austrian Armed Forces

(Bild: Raytheon, Peter Tomschi, Krone KREATIV)

Despite the government negotiations between the ÖVP and FPÖ, preparations for Austria's participation in the Sky Shield air defense project are continuing. "The planning is complete, we are now moving towards deployment," said Lieutenant General Bruno Hofbauer.

"Certain things that Germany is doing with the Sky Shield initiative, we are not doing at all, but it is essentially about the medium range: it is primarily about joint procurement, joint training and not about a joint deployment or integration into NATO air defense," explained Hofbauer from the Austrian Armed Forces.

The Austrian Ministry of Defense is currently weighing up European systems against each other. One advantage is the lower price due to joint purchasing.

We are not doing certain things that Germany is doing with the Sky Shield initiative at all, but it is essentially about the medium range.

Bruno Hofbauer, Bundesheer

Greater threat in the "foreseeable future"
According to Hofbauer, the security situation in Europe will not improve significantly in the near future. There are threats in cyberspace and from the air, for example due to the war in Ukraine. For example, balloons, cruise missiles and other projectiles could threaten from various directions.

"I assume that we will have a shaky ceasefire with a goal imposed from above, where there will ultimately be permanent violations of the ceasefire," predicts the lieutenant general for Ukraine. "Europe will have to do a lot more. We will have to emancipate ourselves."