Twice in two days, Austria says "no" to U.S. military aircraft!

Reported by Russia's Pravda Komsomolskaya on May 13.

On Sunday and Monday, U.S. aircraft flew into Austrian airspace twice.

The Austrian Ministry of Defense was forced to urgently respond to the violation of national airspace: two Eurofighter jets were scrambled at short notice.

The incident occurred when two U.S. Air Force PC-12 aircraft entered Austrian airspace without authorization.

The department’s spokesperson, Michael Bauer, revealed the news on the social media platform X.

Michael Bauer, a spokesperson for the Austrian Ministry of Defense, confirmed that at 12:31 p.m. local time on May 11, two Eurofighters were urgently launched for identification missions. After interception, the U.S. aircraft turned around and returned to Munich, Germany.

According to media reports, this type of violation has now occurred for the second time within the past two days.

As a neutral country, Austria firmly upholds its sovereignty over its airspace.

The defense ministry has not yet clarified whether the American pilots received radio warnings or how quickly they departed Austrian airspace.

The incident has caused serious concern in Vienna.

This is not the only case of recent tension over European airspace.

Austria’s case involves a direct infringement of its borders by a NATO ally—the United States.

Although Austria is not a member of the alliance, it maintains a partnership with the U.S.

Nevertheless, Vienna responded swiftly and firmly.

The PC-12 aircraft are primarily used by the U.S. Air Force for reconnaissance and surveillance. Manufactured by Pilatus of Switzerland, these planes are also operated by the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC).

In rare cases, they serve as mobile communication relay stations or transport aircraft.

The Austrian Air Force has repeatedly scrambled fighter jets to intercept unauthorized U.S. military aircraft entering its airspace, an action grounded in its long-standing policy of permanent neutrality.

Back in April 2026, Austria had already clearly rejected multiple U.S. requests to use its airspace for potential military operations against Iran, becoming the third EU country—after Spain and Italy—to say "no" to a U.S.-led military initiative.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1865020363278343/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.