The decision has been made to replace the Saab 105

Today, Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner decided on the successor to the Saab 105 training jets, which were retired in 2020.

Austria plans to purchase twelve Leonardo M-346FA jets together with Italy as part of a “government-to-government” deal.

Defense Minister Tanner is following the recommendation of the General Staff. The budget funds required for the purchase were already planned and decided in 2022 in the multi-year financial framework and the “ÖBH 2032+” development plan.

The contract is currently being negotiated with the Italian government.

An important part of the negotiations is also the integration of the Austrian economy through necessary industrial cooperation in order to bring added value to Austria and strengthen the domestic industry.

“This cooperation is further proof of the good cooperation and friendship between Italy and Austria. My special thanks go to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who made a significant contribution to reaching this agreement,” said Chancellor Karl Nehammer.

Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner: “By purchasing the jets, we are closing a significant capability gap in our air force. In this way, we are not only bringing 100 percent of the training of our pilots back to Austria, but we are also significantly strengthening airspace defense. This increases the protection of Austria, the Austrian population and our neutrality against threats from the air.”

“This decision is a positive end to the challenging year 2024 for the Vogler Air Base in Linz-Hörsching and also for the state of Upper Austria and a very good start to the new year 2025. Because by purchasing new jets as a successor to the Saab 105 fleet the air base’s military relevance was strengthened. This will improve the location in the long term and secure the many high-quality jobs for decades to come,” said State Governor Thomas Stelzer, pleased about the purchase decision.

The Leonardo M-346 FA is a two-seat, weapons-capable, subsonic jet. In the future, it will be used in the Austrian Armed Forces to train pilots, to support the land forces and to defend airspace.