350 military and civilian forces took part in the exercise in Steinbach
Allentsteig (OTS) – On June 15, 2024, the Federal Army trained in Steinbach together with civilian emergency services in the exercise “Protective Helmet 24” in the use of an unmanned aircraft. They also practiced dealing with a fire in which dangerous substances could escape: After a drone crashed over a densely populated area, a fire broke out. The LH deputy responsible for disaster control, Stephan Pernkopf, got a picture of the exercise on site: 350 military and civilian emergency services were involved. The exercise is part of the currently largest Bundeswehr exercise “Protective Shield 24”. The aim was to strengthen cooperation between the emergency services.
Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner: “Exercises like this show that the population can rely on military and civilian forces. Their cooperative work not only increases confidence in their abilities, but also increases safety for all of us. It is all the more important that we promote this collaboration so that we can react effectively and quickly in an emergency. I am pleased to see that so many people are willing to take responsibility for our society. I would therefore like to thank everyone involved from the fire department, the Red Cross, the Civil Protection Association, the state of Lower Austria and the armed forces.”
“In the past, disasters have always shown that Lower Austria stands together. To ensure that this can function smoothly in an emergency, exercises with other emergency organizations such as the Austrian Armed Forces, the Red Cross and the Civil Protection Association are particularly important. My thanks go to the entire Lower Austria security family, especially the committed comrades of the volunteer fire department,” said LH deputy Stephan Pernkopf.
Specifically, an unknown aircraft entered Austrian airspace. After interceptors took off from Zeltweg, the aircraft disappeared from the radar in the Steinberg area: a drone crashed over a densely populated area. Civilian emergency services carried out the rescue and rescue of the population. The crash caused a fire to break out, which posed the risk of hazardous substances escaping. The NBC response team was requested to identify possible contamination and decontamination of emergency services. The Lower Austria State Fire Brigade Association, the Lower Austria Red Cross and the Lower Austria Civil Protection Association were involved.
The “Protective Shield 24” exercise is the largest military exercise in ten years. The focus is on national military defense and the joint training of professional and militia soldiers as well as military servicemen. Around 7,500 soldiers and civilian employees from Germany, Sweden, Croatia, Bosnia and Montenegro are taking part. Practices will take place from June 10th to 21st, 2024 in Burgenland, Lower Austria, Styria and Carinthia. The purpose is to strengthen operational readiness and core military tasks for planning and leading operations by land, air and special operations forces.
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