A U.S. Air Force U-28A Draco, assigned to Air Force Special Operations Command, sits on the flightline at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., on July 23, 2025. Air Force Special Operations Command’s fleet includes the U-28A. (Thomas Hansford/U.S. Air Force)
STUTTGART, Germany — Austria scrambled fighter planes on back-to back days to intercept U.S. Air Force reconnaissance aircraft traveling through its airspace, the country’s defense ministry said this week.
The intercepts involved Austrian Eurofighters tracking down PC-12 U.S. Air Force planes, Austrian defense ministry spokesman Michael Bauer said in a Tuesday statement on X. The incidents occurred Sunday and Monday, he said.
While the Austrians described the aircraft involved in the Monday incident as a PC-12, it was likely a different version of the Swiss-made jet.
Air Force Special Operations Command’s fleet includes the U-28A, which is a modified variant of the PC-12. The planes are typically used for airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations.
Bauer described the Monday intercept as a “priority A” incident, which typically relates to an urgent military tasking.
Two Eurofighters were dispatched to determine whether the U.S. aircraft matched relevant flight registration, according to Bauer. The matter will be resolved through diplomatic channels, he added.
It wasn’t clear why the Austrians felt compelled to scramble fighters to identify the aircraft. Assuming that the U.S. planes were traveling with their transponders on and in radio contact, they should have been visible to air traffic control.
U.S. European Command said in a statement Wednesday that two American aircraft overflew Austria on Monday on their way to an exercise in Eastern Europe. They were following standard protocol, the statement added.
“This flight took place after an administrative error in the overflight clearance paperwork was corrected,” EUCOM said. “The United States continues to work closely with Austrian authorities on any questions regarding overflights and fully complies with Austrian laws and procedures.”
The EUCOM statement didn’t elaborate on the earlier flights that prompted the Austrians to scramble its fighter planes. When asked in an exchange on X about the necessity of scrambling fighter planes, Bauer said “some things you just have to see.”
The intercept comes at a time of diplomatic tension between the United States and Austria, which has traditionally sought to maintain a position of political neutrality.
In the aftermath of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, Austria was among the countries that denied the use of its airspace to the U.S. for missions related to the conflict.
