Austrian jets intercept unauthorized US military planes two days in a row

VIENNA — Austrian Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets scrambled two days in a row to intercept unauthorized U.S. military aircraft in its airspace, the government said.

The interceptions took place on May 10 and 11 and were triggered by modified PC-12 turboprop aircraft that the U.S. military uses primarily for signals intelligence and scouting operations. The U.S. designation for the aircraft is U-28.

Austria is not a member of the NATO alliance and has perpetual neutrality enshrined in its constitution. Transits by foreign militaries - whether by land or by air - require prior approval and are generally granted only if they are unrelated to a war. Austria was the fifth European country to close its airspace to U.S. activity related to the war in Iran, with the country’s vice chancellor, Andreas Babler, saying that Austrians want “nothing to do with Trump’s politics of chaos and his war.”

The May 10 intercept reportedly took place over the Totes Gebirge mountain range in Upper Austria, over 60 kilometers from the German border. The intruders were met by Eurofighter Typhoons. After being confronted, the U.S. aircraft turned around and flew back in the direction of Munich, a military spokesperson said.

Swiss news portal “20 Minuten” first reported on the incursion and it was later confirmed by other German-language media.

A similar incident took place on Monday, with Austrian jets scrambling in a “Priority A intercept,” marking the highest urgency in the Austrian air force’s nomenclature. The mission was to “verify that the registration and the flight match,” Austrian military spokesperson Michael Bauer said in a reply on X, adding that “some things you have to see for yourself.”

Publicly available reporting of unauthorized U.S. overflights is rare, and permissions are generally granted in peacetime. Austria’s location and geography - a thin sliver of land between major NATO allies Germany and Italy, and dividing northern from southern Europe - makes it a prime transit route. Neighboring Switzerland has similar neutrality policies.

The most remarkable precedent is a case in October 2002, when the U.S. attempted to smuggle two F-117A Nighthawk stealth attack aircraft through Austrian airspace by filing a flight plan only for the accompanying KC-10A tanker aircraft. Austrian Draken fighter jets identified the undeclared aircraft and Vienna later lodged a formal diplomatic complaint.

The recent airspace incursions, too, will be addressed through diplomatic channels, Austrian authorities said.

The U.S. Embassy in Vienna referred a request for comment to the U.S. European Command, based in Stuttgart, Germany.