At the end of the 1970ies it became more and more apparent that the Steyr Type 680 trucks that had been in service since the mid-1960ies had to be replaced. These started in 1985 and resulted in the Steyr 12M18 being introduced in 1986. In 1979 however, six vehicles were assembled in a configuration that was never part of any official type catalogue: 6x6 chassis with double-cab and second steering wheel for driver training purposes.
2020 has presented us all with totally unexpected challenges. None of us could have expected what was about to hit by the end of February and bring all of our usual activities to a grinding halt for the remainder of the year.
Nonetheless, we wish all of our members, supporters and friends a very Merry Christmas - even if it may turn out to be a little more "silent" than usual.
We hope that 2021 will be better than this last year, so that we can resume all of our activities and see each other again under our motto of "Keep'em rolling !".
Ziel: Eine stärkere Truppe für noch mehr Sicherheit
Unser Heer: Mit neuen Schwerpunkten auf Cyber Defence, ABC-Abwehr und Katastrophenhilfe soll das Bundesheer den neuen Herausforderungen und Sicherheitsbedrohungen Österreichs noch besser begegnen können.
Brig. Günter Kuhn (ret.) died at his home in Pfaffstätten/Austria last week at age 82. For several decades - at the end as Commanding Officer - his personality was an integral part of the School.
We will always honor his memory.
Our already existing collection of ex-Austrian Army Gräf&Stift trucks has been extended by a type LAFD210 6x6 from this prestigious former Austrian truck manufacturer. After a hint from one of our friends at MAN trucks Vienna, Franz and Florian Schwendemann recovered this truck under unusually nice weather conditions on July 22. While 200 of these trucks had been procured by the Austrian Army (primarily for service with the engineer batallions), only very few survived their "second life" in civilian use. They were the direct predecessors of the ÖAF gl sLKW trucks introduced in 1976, and our vehicle had been registered under Army license plate BH 82.494. So far we have not been able to identify the unit it served with, only the tactical markings of a staff company are still legible. Further "cannibalizing" the two existing Gräf&Stift wrecks in our inventory, this vehicle will be made road-worthy again.
