From 1987 to 1990, he held the post of defense minister at the Federal Ministry for National Defence and Sport.
In his tenure, militia structure was enshrined in the Constitution and the Austrian Army received missiles.
[2] In 1987, it became known according to a report in a news magazine profile that Lichal had an order for 50,000 pieces of tracer practice ammunition for antiaircraft guns worth 35 million Austrian Schilling that had been awarded to the Swiss manufacturer Rheinmetall Air Defence, although the French supplier Matra Manurhin Défense an offer for 15 million Schillings.
Lichal had ordered the Bundesheer at least three times to pass the more favorable offer from Matra.
Lichal and Schön were close friends and Spindelegger was a member of Cartellverband.