Austrian Army's Donkeys Provide Stealth Advantage Against Drones
At the Hochfilzen Alpine base of the Austrian Armed Forces, soldiers begin their day at 05:00, tending to a herd of 50 Haflinger horses and eight donkeys, four of which are fitted with pack saddles capable of carrying 120kg of supplies. The morning journey to the Römersattel mountain pass serves as a traditional training exercise, drawing international special forces in light of the ongoing Ukraine conflict. Staff Sergeant Florian Manzl is responsible for training conscripts to navigate challenging terrains with the animals and to secure positions. Since the merger of four pack-animal units in 2007, Manzl has trained around 40 soldiers every four months. Donkeys were incorporated in 2016 for overseas missions. European special forces now engage in three-week training programs, utilizing horses and donkeys for their stealth and resilience, which are vital for tactical operations. This article appears in Monocle's Med, Mountains & More, available from 31 July.
Key facts
- Austrian Armed Forces base in Hochfilzen keeps 50 Haflinger horses and eight donkeys.
- Pack saddles can carry up to 120kg of ammunition, weapons, or supplies.
- Morning trek to Römersattel mountain pass links Tyrol and Salzburg.
- Staff Sergeant Florian Manzl oversees pack-animal training.
- Four pack-animal units merged in 2007.
- Donkeys introduced in 2016 at request of special forces.
- Colonel Wilfried Tassenbacher is the centre's commander.
- Conscripts train for about 40 soldiers every four months.
- Horses and donkeys are stealthy, immune to electronic warfare, and hard to detect by drones.
- Polish soldiers use horses on Belarusian border and plan to build three army centres for horses.
- Germany uses professionals, Austria and Switzerland train conscripts and reservists.
- Swiss use Freiberger horses, Germany uses mules, Austria uses Haflingers and donkeys.
Entities
Institutions
- Austrian Armed Forces
- Monocle
Locations
- Hochfilzen
- Austria
- Römersattel
- Tyrol
- Salzburg
- Germany
- Switzerland
- Poland
- Belarus
Sources
- Monocle —