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Thomas Burgstaller and his soldiers secure the airspace over Vorarlberg.
With the World Economic Forum in Davos (WEF), the army is also increasing its presence in western Austria. Helicopters are used in Vorarlberg, as are mobile radar stations. After all, the Swiss army has to be supported in securing the summit near the border. Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Burgstaller from the Armed Forces Radar Battalion is in charge. “All in all, the Austrian air force brought around 900 soldiers into the area of operations,” the commander gives an insight in Vorarlberg LIVE. 400 soldiers are subordinate to him alone, and they are supported by the anti-aircraft battalion from Zeltweg.
Airspace security at the airfield near Hohenems with low-flying detection radar and Black Hawk helicopter (C) Stiplovsek
In a figurative sense, the fixed radar in the Salzkammergut looks far and wide, not only during the WEF. However, the topography makes it difficult for this radar to see some valleys in Tyrol and Vorarlberg. This is where Burgstaller’s soldiers come into play to add to the overall picture. “This ranges from air traffic controllers that simply look and report to highly qualified sensors,” explains the officer. In the armed forces, these are considered passive parts of airspace surveillance and are in use around the clock. When in doubt, the active components are used, from helicopters to Eurofighters. In order for these to have enough time to react depending on the situation, they must be noticed early enough by the staff on the ground. In order to keep this time as short as possible, the aircraft are on patrol in the Tyrolean and Vorarlberg airspace as far as possible.
The preparations take about nine months to make the necessary clarifications. This ranges from accommodating the soldiers to obtaining installation permits for the device. While professional soldiers mainly operate the technology, conscripts are responsible for security. So far there have been no serious incidents, assures Burgstaller.
