What can be seen at the Federal Army exhibition on the national holiday

2023-10-23 11:08:00

This time, the focus will be on the security situation given the currently increased terror alert level, as Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP) emphasized at a press conference on Monday: “We will of course monitor and assess the security situation on an hourly basis.”

If the situation requires it, the corresponding security measures would be increased and tightened, said Tanner. The Viennese military commander Kurt Wagner also advised not to bring backpacks, umbrellas or dangerous objects.

“The national holiday offers the opportunity to present the armed forces at the center of society,” said Tanner. The armed forces can also show that they are an attractive employer with hundreds of opportunities and a secure job.

New “Leonardo” helicopter

The program on the national holiday includes the “Vienna premiere” of the new “Leonardo” helicopter AW169, said the Defense Minister. This year, an ICT container is also special to point out the needs of cyberdefense. Last but not least, 1,000 recruits, including female recruits, would be sworn in this year.

This year it will be the 28th time that the Federal Army will hold a performance show on the national holiday at Heldenplatz and other places in the city center, explained the Vienna military commander. In addition to the “Leonardo”, almost all armored vehicles from the Leopard to the Ulan and a 1:1 model of the Eurofighter will also be on display.

Another highlight is a flight simulator. Mittelstrasse at Heldenplatz will be used again for demonstrations, said Wagner. For example, the parachutists from the hunting squad will land there, or the guards will do a demonstration. “We offer a federal army you can touch.”

October 25th is School Day, when school classes can find out everything about the local armed forces, explained Wagner. On the national holiday itself, the wreath will be laid at 9:30 a.m. by Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen and the federal government afterwards. The 1,000 recruits from all federal states, including twenty women, are then sworn in.

This year the ORF will once again use 14 cameras, including a crane camera and a drone, to capture what is happening at Heldenplatz and bring it into the living room, explained ORF director Kurt Pongratz. In addition, there will once again be film contributions by film director Stefan Ruzowitzky, in which the areas of responsibility of the Federal Army will be shown. “Now all that’s left is for the weather gods to play along,” said Pongratz, who highlighted the public interest in recent years: “Despite the early start, the interest is extraordinary.”