The procurement of four police helicopters will not be rushed with the military: after reviewing the recently rumored project, the Ministry of the Interior concluded “that a joint procurement with the Ministry of Defense is not possible due to legal uncertainties and previous, corresponding judiciary”. A separate tender must be drawn up in consultation with the Finanzprokuratur.
The Interior Department emphasized that the timely purchase of the four new helicopters for the police would be guaranteed. The Ministry of the Interior attaches great importance to the greatest possible legal certainty and an undisputed tendering process. Therefore, an extensive legal investigation was commissioned.
“Civilian Use of Aircraft Required”
“The Austrian Armed Forces purchase helicopters for military use, the civilian use of the aircraft is required for the flight police helicopters,” it said. “A joint procurement of military helicopters, which are only used civilian by the Federal Ministry of the Interior, is classified by the experts as too legally unsafe and can therefore be interpreted as circumventing a tender for the aircraft.”
In mid-November it was said that the Air Traffic Police would be given four Italian Augusta Westland AW169s, which would have been an option to be taken over by the military. The purchase was not yet contractually agreed. There was a media debate at the time about the cost, equipment and personnel requirements of this variant.
Source: Krone
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