Drone crash over residential area: Austrian Armed Forces train with civilian responders at “Schutzhelm 24”

At the weekend, the Austrian Armed Forces (Bundesheer) practised the response to a drone crash with civilian emergency services. “Schutzhelm 24” took place in Steinbach, located at the Allentsteig military training area. In addition to the crash of an unmanned aircraft, the focus was on a fire that could release hazardous substances.

The scenario was as follows: an unknown aircraft enters Austrian airspace. Interceptors have barely taken off from Zeltweg when radar loses it in the Steinberg area – the drone has crashed over a densely populated area. Civilian responders take over the rescue and evacuation of the population. The crash causes a fire, and hazardous substances threaten to escape. The CBRN defence team is therefore called in to detect contamination and decontaminate responders.

Drone crash exercise as part of “Schutzschild 2024”

A total of 350 military and civilian responders took part, including personnel from the state fire brigade association, the Red Cross and the civil protection association – all from Lower Austria. The training is embedded in “Schutzschild 2024”, currently the largest manoeuvre of the Bundesheer. It was intended to strengthen cooperation between the services.

Defence Minister Klaudia Tanner said: “Exercises like this show that the population can rely on military and civilian responders. Their cooperative work not only strengthens confidence in their capabilities but also increases security for all of us. It is all the more important to promote this cooperation so that we can respond 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 brigades, the Red Cross, the civil protection association, the State of Lower Austria and the Bundesheer.”

“Exercises like this show that the population can rely on military and civilian responders.”
Defence Minister Klaudia Tanner

Stephan Pernkopf, Deputy Governor of Lower Austria responsible for disaster protection, also visited the exercise: “In the past, disasters have always shown that Lower Austria stands together. For this to work smoothly in an emergency, exercises with other emergency organisations such as the Austrian Armed Forces, the Red Cross and the civil protection association are particularly important. My thanks go to the entire Lower Austrian security family, above all the dedicated comrades of the volunteer fire brigades.”

The Bundesheer had not held a manoeuvre as large as “Schutzschild 2024” for ten years. The focus is on military national defence and joint training of conscripts, professional and militia soldiers. Some 7,500 soldiers and civilian staff from Germany, Sweden, Croatia, Bosnia and Montenegro are taking part. The exercise areas until 21 June are Burgenland, Lower Austria, Styria and Carinthia. It is intended to strengthen operational readiness and core military tasks, i.e. planning and commanding operations by land, air and special operations forces.