The Austrian Forces Disaster Relief Unit (short AFDRU) is an
Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) and disaster relief unit of the
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
n federal armed forces (the
Bundesheer).
History
It was created in 1990 in response to various disasters, especially the
earthquake in Armenia in 1988.
AFDRU is specifically designed to be deployed in other countries. The unit can be airlifted within 10 hours of receiving orders, and carries enough equipment to operate on its own for two weeks.
Deployments
The unit has been active in many disasters, in particular in Iran during the
2003 earthquake and in
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
following the
tsunami disaster in 2004.{{Citation needed, date=December 2024
External links
English page on AFDRUon the website of the Austrian federal army (
Bundesheer).
Foreign relations of Austria
Military units and formations of Austria
1990 establishments in Austria
Military units and formations established in 1990