Austrian Air Force

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The Austrian Air Force (de: Österreichische Luftstreitkräfte) was formed in May 1955 by the victorious Allied powers, it was formed as part of the now fully independent Austrian armed forces. Like Germany, there were some restrictions on it, like not being able to use A.A (Air to Air) and A.G (Air to Ground) missiles until the 1990s.

Training pilots started out with a few Yak 11 Moose and Yak 18 Max aircraft donated by the former Soviet Union. It then started getting cheap aircraft from the United States under the Military Assistance Program (MAP), but Austria had to buy its first aircraft consisting of PA-18, Zlin 126, Cessna 172/182, Vampire. Magister, Alouette II and S-55. Only Italy donated five Fiat G-46's. Until between 1958 and 1960 Austria purchased under the MAP 62 aircraft, but with no fighter aircraft.

In 1985 Austria purchased 24 reconditioned Saab Draken. Also several Saab 105OE trainer air crafts were bought. The Draken protected the southern border of Austria in 1991 during the fist Balkan War between Slovenia and Serbia, when Serbian fighter crafts crossed the border without permission.

After the avalanche in Galtür in 1999, it became apparent that the Austrian Air Force's helicopter compliment were too few in numbers and too limited in design. Therefore, several US built Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk choppers were purchased, to be used for transportation during disasters.

Today the Saab Draken are being replaced by the Eurofighter Typhoon, as the Draken are no longer supported by Saab. Before the first delivery of the Typhoon in 2006, F-5 Tiger II were leased from Switzerland as a stopgap measure.