The F-35 stealth aircraft celebrated its (flying) Austrian premiere in Zeltweg on Friday. On the occasion of the collaboration between the Army and the Vermont National Guard, Secretary of Defense Klaudia Tanner also spoke about the future of Hinterstoisser Air Force Base.
“An incredible feeling to fly over the mountains here. You live in a very beautiful country. It is an honor for me to be here.” In very American fashion, Lieutenant First Class Kelsey Flannery presented the Styrian hosts with roses in an interview with “Krone”. The young woman is the first female pilot of the Vermont National Air Guard to fly the F-35 stealth jet and transfer the US stealth aircraft from the German American base in Spangdahlem to the Murtal.
Two of the American jets ‘invisible’ to the radar showed spectacular overflights on Zeltweg on Friday with two Eurofighters of the German armed forces. The reason is the now one-year cooperation between Austria and the National Guard of Vermont. The contingent at Hinterstoisser Air Force Base was correspondingly large and prominent. Defense Secretary Klaudia Tanner did not miss this event, nor did US Ambassador Victoria Reggie Kennedy, Provincial Councilor Werner Amon, Air Force Chief Brigadier General Gerfried Promberger or Styrian military commander Brigadier General Heinz Zöllner.
“Now this partnership is starting to come to life,” the minister said with delight. “In addition to this training for our pilots together with the F-35, there was also a major mountain exercise in February in which we also have a lot of expertise. There have already been eleven joint activities in total.”
Many of the (Zaun) guests wondered whether the F-35 would not be seen more often at Zeltweg in the future. Finally, it was leaked last year that the Ministry of Defense was intensively working on the American superjet as the successor to the Eurofighter. “We must and will in any case upgrade. But the priority now is to improve our Eurofighters. We will see what other options there are,” said Tanner. The Eurofighters should be in service until at least 2035.
Tanner did not want to commit himself to the question of whether the Austrian anti-drone defense would also have its base in Zeltweg in the future. In any case, you also want to invest heavily in this.
Source: Krone
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