Army receives additional billions

The National Council’s security policy commission has made a decision of great scope: the army should also receive a billion francs – to obtain ammunition for air defense.

The warnings of international experts to Switzerland are clipp and clear: she has to get her air defense. « Invested massively in air defense, » advised Ben Hodges, former three-star general of the US Army, in the « Sonntagsblick ». « Russia uses an enormous number of artillery, sliding bombs and rockets to worry about the opposing infrastructure. » Hodges must know: from 2014 to 2017 he was commander -in -chief of the American land forces in Europe.

The German military historian Stig Förster became even clearer at the weekend. « Switzerland still relies on a weapon technology from the Second World War, » he criticized in the « Sonntagszeitung ».

Swiss defense classified as unrealistic

« But today Switzerland would be almost defenseless in the face of modern weapons such as long -range missiles and drones in the event of war. » Förster, who has just published the book “German Military History”, even says that Switzerland’s sole defense is “hardly realistic” in the event of war.

The National Council’s Security Policy Commission is now responding with massive investments to the problems in air defense. It wants to increase the 2025 arms program by a whole billion francs, from 1.5 to 2.5 billion.

The billion is to be used for the purchase of ammunition – especially of ammunition for ground -based air defense (Bodluv) medium and large reach. But also for the new artillery system, which is to be obtained with the 2025 arms program.

The corresponding application comes from the Schwyzer FDP National Councilor Heinz Theiler. With the help of the members of Mitte, FDP and SVP, he brought him against the resistance of the Greens and SP with the help of the members of the Mitte, FDP and SVP – with 16: 9 votes.

« The demand is huge and delivery times and prices are increasing »

« The demand for Bodluv ammunition is huge worldwide, the delivery periods and prices are increasing massively, » says Theiler. Therefore, he applied for a commitment loan so that the ammunition could be ordered immediately if the army message was accepted. So far, the army has only procured ammunition for the training needs, says theiler. Expensive ammunition had only been obtained in small quantities. This means that the army is lacking in the air defense.

With the 2024 arms program, Switzerland is also to order ground -based air defense systems. The Swiss army is planning this with a program agreement as part of the “European Sky Shield Initiative” program. It enlarges the international cooperation opportunities – especially in the area of ​​procurement of weapons.

The defense department also wants to procure four to five Iris T-SLM systems from the German manufacturer Diehl Defense, for 660 million. The negotiations are « in an advanced phase, but not yet complete, » says Armasuisse.

These air-air steering aircraft with infrared hunted head were developed by Germany and five other countries. The steering aircraft have a range of 40 kilometers and reach a maximum of 20 kilometers. A piece should cost around 400,000 euros. The steering aircraft fight enemy aircraft, helicopters, marching missiles and steering weapons.

Switzerland must be able to defend infrastructure against air strikes

For Middle National Councilor Reto Nause, from 2009 to 2024 chief security chief of the city of Bern, the protection of the airspace is « one of the most urgent tasks to restore the army’s ability to defend », as he emphasizes. Therefore, he planned an application either in the Security Policy Commission of the National Council or in the budget debate in December to increase the budget for the air defense systems by CHF 200 to CHF 300 million.

But he now looks away – because his application is, so to speak, in the application of Heinz Theiler. « It has been shown that the army primarily needs more ammunition for air defense, » says Nause.

Nause assumes that from 2028 Switzerland will have to be against possible Russian attacks from the air at the latest that aims at the infrastructure. That is the tenor in secret service circles. « We have critical infrastructure, which is important for all of Europe, such as dams or the European electricity circuit in Laufenburg, » says Nause.