Three locations in Upper Austria – explosive RH reports the desolate tank situation

At the request of members of the FPÖ National Council, the Court audited the “fulfillment of the tasks and operational readiness of the 4th Panzergrenadier Brigade”. This includes the heavy weapons of the Austrian Armed Forces: tanks, armored personnel carriers and artillery.

64 percent not usable in the field
In the period 2018 to July 2022, on average, as many as 64 percent of vehicles were not usable in the field, preventing them from fulfilling their intended purpose. The reason: budget constraints that led to lower investments in materials and infrastructure. Due to the age of the vehicles, there were problems obtaining spare parts; this jeopardizes maintenance.

Armored vehicles in a demolished metal hall
At three monitored locations – in the Zehner barracks in Ried im Innkreis, the Hessen barracks in Wels and the Vogler air base in Hörsching – hardly any vehicles were housed according to the standards. For example, in a metal hall that was ready for demolition, there were armored fighting vehicles with purchase costs in the millions. The period examined mainly covered the years 2013 to 2021.

The number of employees has been declining for years
The share of occupied positions among officers, non-commissioned officers and officers decreased; From 2015 to early 2022, 69 percent of vacancies were filled. Due to security police assistance operations, for example at the borders, other tasks could not be carried out – and the workforce decreased. The assistance missions also had a negative impact on the training of soldiers.

What about the modernization program?
From 2010 to 2021, investments attributable to the 4th Armored Grenadier Brigade amounted to approximately 60 million euros, for example for modifications, ammunition, engines, gearboxes and spare parts. In addition, between 2012 and 2022, the ministry planned tenders for the 4th Armored Grenadier Brigade worth approximately 196 million euros. These had not yet been implemented at the time of the Court’s audit. The ministry decided to extend the service life of the entire combat and infantry fighting vehicle fleet in 2022 and estimated the total cost at around 765 million euros. Regarding the future organization and equipment of the 4th Armored Grenadier Brigade, the auditors recommend completing ongoing work on projects on Federal Army capabilities that are currently needed and will be needed; Based on the results, the resources necessary for implementation should be secured.

Minister refers to planned investments
According to the APA, Federal Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP) also agrees with this: “We have done our homework and immediately responded to the changed preconditions (as a result of the war in Ukraine, note). With 560 million euros alone we will renew the Leopard and Ulan fleets, and the Wels and Ried barracks will also undergo some construction work in the coming years to meet the demands of the future,” says Tanner. In addition, developed quality management and training control during training to support the fulfillment of mission-important training objectives.”

A first reaction from the FPÖ Upper Austria
An initial response from the party that ordered this test comes from the state party secretary of the FPÖ Upper Austria, LAbg Michael Gruber: “What does this test result mean? With only 17 main battle tanks available in 2022, the Austrian armed forces could defend only two kilometers of the national border. Politicians must act urgently here! I hope all parties come together. The 4th Armored Grenadier Brigade is the largest combat unit in Upper Austria – it is about security in our state,” says Gruber, himself a former deputy lieutenant in the 4th Armored Grenadier Brigade.