SitaWare at Austrian army's digital exercise

During Exercise HANDWERK 26, Austria's 4th Mechanized Infantry Brigade deployed SitaWare as its command-and-control system for the first time at brigade level, across all combat arms.

In March 2026, the 4th Mechanized Infantry Brigade (4. Panzergrenadierbrigade) of the Austrian Armed Forces (Bundesheer) conducted Exercise HANDWERK 26 at the Theresan Military Academy in Wiener Neustadt. Approximately 300 personnel, both regular and reserve, conducted combined arms warfare under simulated combat conditions over a two-week period. The entire exercise was run as a digital command post exercise (CPX), with a focus on the operational use of SitaWare as the Austrian Armed Forces' new command and control system across all battalions of the brigade.

The scenario was operationally concrete: national defence against an incursion along the state border, with the brigade conducting a counterattack. Eleven command posts at brigade and battalion level were connected through a dedicated operations network and linked through SitaWare as the common platform for situational awareness and coordination.

Combined arms operations

Exercise HANDWERK 26 involved the full range of the brigade's units. The 13th Mechanized Infantry Battalion conducted offensive operations, alternating between mounted and dismounted combat. The 35th Mechanized Infantry Battalion deployed in support with its "Ulan" infantry fighting vehicles. The 14th Armoured Battalion from Wels, the only tank battalion in the Austrian Armed Forces, served as the main effort for armoured operations. The 4th Reconnaissance and Artillery Battalion secured the brigade's intelligence requirements. And the 4th Armoured Staff Battalion provided logistics, command support, and CBRN defence.

Supported by a Systematic team on site throughout the exercise, commanders and staff used SitaWare as the information and communication backbone for brigade-level operations. Reconnaissance results were shared in real time, decisions were reached faster, and orders were executed in a coordinated manner. The results achieved during the exercise reflect the intuitive nature of the software, but above all the willingness of the users to engage with the demands of digital operations.

The CPX format also enabled the brigade to practise command procedures without committing real forces. 300 exercise participants represented a full brigade that would require approximately 5,000 personnel with associated equipment in a real operation. Tactical decisions, force movements, and weapons effects were simulated at battalion level and evaluated immediately. A format that allows the Austrian Armed Forces to build and sustain capability across all combat arms.