Stewart Penney/LONDON

Austria has started to receive responses to a request for information (RFI) on up to 30 new fighters to replace its ageing Saab Drakens. Vienna is also considering options for updating its transport fleet.

The Austrian defence ministry says the RFI was issued for the Boeing F/A-18 Hornet, Dassault Mirage 2000-5, Eurofighter, Lockheed Martin F-16 and the Saab/BAE Systems Gripen. The Eurofighter, marketed in Austria by EADS Germany, was not expected to be included in the list.

RSK continues to promote the MiG-29 Fulcrum and Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to raise the issue during a forthcoming visit to Austria.

An Austrian source says there is a preference for the Gripen within the air force. As well as operating the Draken, the air force's other frontline aircraft is the Saab 105, while Austrian air force pilots also fly the Swedish air force's Saab Viggens.

The defence ministry says it wants to make a decision this year allowing for first deliveries by 2004 at the latest. If deliveries slip, the air force will have difficulty maintaining two air defence squadrons.

The oldest Drakens, acquired in 1985, are likely to be grounded by 2003 as they run out of airframe hours, while the newer fighters will last a further two years.

Saab/BAE has already responded to the RFI. It says that it is developing links with Austrian industry to meet Vienna's requirement for at least a 100% offset on a deal expected to be valued at around Sch15-20 billion ($1-1.4 billion). Responses are expected from the other companies shortly.

Meanwhile, a defence policy paper released in Vienna last week will be used as the basis for the country's future air transport needs. Austria has an open-ended lease of an EADSCasaCN235M turboprop but has a long-standing requirement for further transport aircraft to replace Shorts Skyvans.

The defence ministry says that, though a strategy has not been finalised, it is considering participating in a joint transport force, probably with a neighbouring country such as Germany, Hungary, Slovakia or Switzerland. Austria already has a combined ground forces presence in Kosovo with Slovakia and Switzerland.

Source: Flight International