New weapons and personal gear for Austrian soldiersAn ugrade to rather than a replacement of the existing AUG A1, 4,200 AUG A2 bodies are to be issued in 2017, introducing Picatinny rails to the venerable Bullpup design. [...] When asked for planes for a wider introduction, it was stated that “batches of 5,000 to 10,000 copies each” would be introduced depending on future budgetary scope and according to requirements priorities.
Similarly, 120 copies of Steyr’s SSG 08 bolt-action rifle have been acquired and are going to be introduced to special purpose and line infantry units next year. The weapon is chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum and comes scoped with a Kahles K624i.
In line with current force structure, the provided figures for scoped rifles are roughly equal to full equipment 10 infantry battalions’ sniper elements. It can be expected that the remaining SSG69, a largely outdated .308 bolt-action rifle, will be phased out of active units and made available for the reserves in greater numbers.
In a rather curious notion, the acquisition of sniper systems at the March 29 event was portrayed as a sort-of-substitute for indirect fire weapons. Artillery, associated with high levels of collateral damage, was described as “out of step with time” and of limited use in light of recent conflicts. (Tell that to the Germans.)
Experience teaches that grand promises of new soldierly equipment should be taken with a large grain of salt. Keeping in line with this tradition, the current acquisition plans aren’t without irks, either. Figures don’t always add up and introduction dates lie in the somewhat unspecified future – save for those pieces that are already in service, but have been presented once more nonetheless: Helmets, Steyr AUG A2 assault rifles and Glock 26 subcompact pistols come to mind. Some items are still subject to tenders whereas other tenders have expired without results being publicized.
The ongoing procurement has another common theme: everybody gets something, so no one gets to complain. Strikingly though, some of the items on the Minister’s grocery list are quite few in number and so it can be assumed that, say, advanced AUG variants will not become a common sight among the troops in the near future.
Seen through a political lens, this could prove a shrewd hedging move: should the tide of public opinion turn again, one will always be able to point at the relative modesty in those times of plenty.
Eine Frage in die Runde: Was hat es mit diesen Ops-Core FAST auf sich? Sind das Privatanschaffungen?
P.S.: Die neuen leichten Feldschuhe stammen von einem Tochterunternehmen der Firma VÖLKL:
Feldschuh leicht Bundesheer Österreich
Der Feldschuh ist der Einsatzstiefel des Österreichischen Bundesheeres. Durch seine Zwiegenähte Machart, kann der Stiefel mehrfach besohlt werden. Dies erhöht die Langlebigkeit des Stiefels erheblich. Mit Schaftrandpolsterung und Lederfutter ist der Stiefel bequem zu tragen. Wie auch beim Bundeswehr Kampfstiefel ist der Österreichische Feldschuh ein all-rounder der für verschiedenste Einsatzzwecke konzipiert wurde.
