On Monday, January 8, 2024, Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner started the new year with the expansion of Fliegerwerft 1 in Langenlebarn. A workshop and storage building as well as a maintenance and painting box will be built at a cost of 15 million euros. Once the work is completed in summer 2025, Fliegerwerft 1 will be able to optimally maintain and maintain the Federal Army's "Black Hawk" fleet, which will be expanded to twelve aircraft by 2025.
“There’s no better way to start the New Year than with a groundbreaking ceremony! From the beginning of my term in office, my goal was to build the Federal Army into a strong, modern and efficient army in order to be prepared for current and future threats. And we will continue to pursue this goal with all our might in order to further advance our 'Mission Forward'. We must improve soldiers' equipment, protected mobility, weapons and equipment and invest in air and drone defense. But the procurement of devices alone is not enough; the necessary and appropriate infrastructure must also be in place. With this expansion for our Black Hawks, we are now taking the next step in our “Austrian Armed Forces Development Plan 2032+,” said Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner.
With the addition of three additional S-70 “Black Hawk” medium transport helicopters, the infrastructure of this aircraft system will be adapted to the requirements of contemporary, modern operations and additional areas will be created. The future workshop and storage building will be around 1.400 m² and the maintenance and painting box will be around 1.000 m². The roofs will be greened. The Federal Army is investing around 15 million euros, including planning and all additional costs.
For the first time maintenance and painting box
The airframe of modern aircraft consists of composite parts. Therefore, painting individual parts is no longer possible. A paint box must therefore be built that has enough space for the cell of a “Black Hawk”. The painting system consists of the painting room, paint mixing room, networking and cleaning room, technical room and a sandblasting cabin.
Fliegerwerft 1 is the type shipyard for the S-70 “Black Hawk” medium transport helicopter. It is therefore responsible for the majority of the maintenance and repairs of these helicopters and their components. As part of the expansion of the Army's S-70 "Black Hawk" fleet by three to a total of twelve machines by 2025, the area at Fliegerwerft 1 will also need to be expanded.
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