Austrian Defense Minister Karl Luettgendorf has advocated the purchase of Israeli Kfir interceptor fighter jets for the Austrian army. Luettgendorf, who returned from Israel Thursday where he tested the Kfir (young lion) fighters, said he would propose their purchase as “interceptor fighters are Indispensable for the defense of Austria’s neutrality.”
The Minister said the fighters should be purchased under a special financing plan, as the regular Austrian budget does not provide funds for such a purchase. Luettgendorf said the decision to purchase the Kfirs will be made at the end of this year. Austrian Chancellor Bruno Kreisky said earlier this summer he was against the purchase of interceptor fighters because it was more important to equip the Austrian army with other modern weapons.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
