The Austrian Armed Forces have been deployed in Wörschach, Upper Styria, since June 2, 2026, to assist in fighting a difficult-to-access forest fire.
The Styrian State Warning Center requested military assistance after firefighting efforts in the steep and rocky terrain of the Enns Valley proved extremely difficult for civilian fire departments. To bring the fire under control, in addition to specialized ground troops from the infantry battalions, several aircraft from the Air Force were deployed to coordinate firefighting from the air and ensure water transport.
For the second time this year, the new Leonardo AW169 "Lion" multi-purpose helicopter is at the heart of air support operations. Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner emphasized in an official statement the necessity of rapid and coordinated assistance between military and civilian authorities in crisis situations. The AW169 "Lion" is characterized by its high performance in high mountain environments and possesses considerable power reserves even at extreme altitudes. Thanks to its spacious cabin design, the aircraft can also be used for medical evacuations and the isolated transport of injured persons if required.
From a technical perspective, the deployment of the AW169 represents a significant expansion of the Austrian Armed Forces' air support capacity. Compared to its predecessor, the "Alouette III," which was decommissioned in 2023, the new helicopter can transport two to three times the amount of water per rotation. The water is scooped from nearby bodies of water using special external load containers, known as Bambi Buckets, and dropped directly onto the fires. The operation is supported on-site by air rescue personnel and mountain scientists who continuously analyze ground temperature and wind conditions in the mountains.
The deployment in Wörschach is the latest in a series of demanding assistance operations carried out by the Austrian Armed Forces during natural disasters in the Alpine region. The logistics of the operation require constant coordination between the Aigen im Ennstal airbase and the local fire brigade command center. Industry experts point out that the modernization of the helicopter fleet, with the arrival of the Italian AW169 aircraft, has measurably increased the Austrian Armed Forces' response speed and effectiveness in providing civil disaster relief within Austria compared to previous years.