Austrian army to slash two thirds of its tanks to save money

    The Austrian army will sell, scrap or recycle two thirds of its armoured vehicles by late 2013, allowing it to save up to 15 million euros yearly, Defence Minister Norbert Darabos announced Wednesday.
"We are getting rid of cost-intensive equipment which represents an expensive burden for the army and which we no longer need," Darabos, who has been trying to push through army reforms, told a press conference.
The number of armoured vehicles, which has already seen cuts over the past four years, will thus shrink to 389 by the end of 2013, from a current 1,147.
Several models -- including more than 400 Saurers dating back to the 1960s -- will be scrapped entirely, while others will be recycled as spare parts for other vehicles.
Further models, like the more modern Leopard tanks, will meanwhile be put up for sale, and several governments and firms have already expressed interest, the defence ministry said.
The sales should help bring in 19 million euros ($25.5 million), although two million euros will have to go towards destroying ammunition.
Additionally, the army will save up to 15 million euros per year in maintenance thanks to the cuts, according to the ministry.
"We need more than ever to adapt our capabilities to realistic deployment scenarios," said Darabos.
Where Austria once stood with its back against the Iron Curtain, with the prospect of a conventional war with the Soviet bloc on its doorstep, now "we face cyber threats, terrorist threats: these are the challenges of the future," he noted.