Despite ongoing Russian aggression, Germany has had to severely curtail the flight operations of its Eurofighters, and Austria could follow suit from next week: part of the ejection seats is defective and there is a risk of lengthy inspections. However, this has no effect on the alert group’s operational readiness, the military said Friday.
In concrete terms, this concerns defective cartridges that serve as a propellant and shoot the ejection seat out of the aircraft in an emergency. According to the initial information, it is no longer possible to determine with certainty whether full or empty cartridges are installed. The press service of ejection seat manufacturer Martin Baker was no longer available by telephone for the “Krone” on Friday.
No demonstration flight
The shortage sometimes has serious consequences for hundreds of fighters across Europe, including the 15 Eurofighters in Austria: “We will check on Monday whether we stop training for safety reasons or not,” Colonel Michael Bauer said in the “Krone” interview. A blessing in disguise: The coming weekend gives those responsible two days to make a decision, as no training flights are planned here anyway.
Airspace surveillance remains in place
However, as in Germany, airspace surveillance in Austria remains in force. The emergency crew for checking suspicious aircraft would remain ready and operational in Zeltweg, it said.
Eurofighter sole mainstay in Austria
The Eurofighter is the last remaining aircraft in Austria capable of intercepting suspected aircraft. If all machines are grounded for the long term, there would be major gaps in active airspace surveillance. At the end of 2020, the Saab 105OE could still be used in Linz, which was idle last year.
Already in 2010 a similar problem
The current incident is reminiscent of 2010, when all – not absolutely necessary – Eurofighter training flights in Europe had to be interrupted after a Spanish Eurofighter crashed and one of the two pilots was killed. However, the emergency teams were also allowed to continue flying. The culprit was the ejection seat.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
