Swiss Air Force - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Swiss Air Force is the air component of the Swiss Armed Forces, established on July 31, 1914, as part of the Army and as of January 1966 an independent service.

In peacetime, Dübendorf

Dübendorf

Dübendorf is a municipality in the district of Uster in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.It is a suburb of Zürich in Switzerland with a population of about 23,000 . It is the fourth largest city in the canton, after Zürich, Winterthur, and Uster.-History:Dübendorf is first mentioned in 946 as...

is the operational Air Force HQ. The Swiss Air Force operates from several fixed bases (see Current status) but its personnel are also trained to carry out air operations from temporary highway airstrips. In case of crisis or war, several stretches of road are specially prepared for this option.

The Early Years

The first military aviation in Switzerland took the form of balloon transport, pioneered by Swiss balloonist Eduard Spelterini

Eduard Spelterini

Eduard Spelterini was a Swiss pioneer of ballooning and of aerial photography.- Early life :Spelterini was born in Bazenheid in the Toggenburg area in Switzerland as Eduard Schweizer. His father, Sigmund Schweizer, was an innkeeper...

, but by 1914 there was still little official support for an air corps. The outbreak of World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

changed opinions drastically and cavalry officer Theodor Real was charged with forming a flying corps. He commandeered three civilian aircraft at Bern's airfield and set about training the initial nine pilots at a makeshift airfield close to Wankdorf Stadium

Wankdorf Stadium

The Wankdorf Stadium was a football stadium in the Wankdorf quarter of Bern, Switzerland, and the former home of Swiss club BSC Young Boys. It was built in 1925, and as well as serving as a club stadium, it hosted several important matches, including the 1954 FIFA World Cup Final, the 1961...

, later moving to a permanent home at Dübendorf. Switzerland remained neutral and isolated during the conflict, and the air corps confined its activities to training and exercises, reconnaissance and patrol. It was only with the worsening international situation in the 1930s that an effective air force was established at great cost, with up-to-date Messerschmitt Bf 109

Messerschmitt Bf 109

The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...

, Macchi MC.202

Macchi MC.202

The Macchi C.202 Folgore was a World War II fighter aircraft built by Macchi Aeronautica and operated by the Regia Aeronautica . Macchi aircraft designed by Mario Castoldi received the "C" letter in their model designation, hence the Folgore is referred to as the MC.202...

and Morane-Saulnier D03800 fighters ordered from Germany, Italy and France respectively (the Moranes were license-built in Switzerland). The Swiss Air Force as an autonomous military service was created in October 1936.

World War Two

Although Switzerland remained neutral throughout World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, it had to deal with numerous violations of its airspace by combatants on all sides - initially by German aircraft, especially during their invasion of France

Battle of France

In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...

in 1940. Zealous Swiss pilots attacked and shot down eleven German aircraft in return for two of their own killed before a threatening memorandum from the German leadership forced General Guisan

Henri Guisan

Henri Guisan was a Swiss army officer, and held the office of the General of the Swiss Army during World War II. He was the fourth and the most recent man to be appointed to the rarely used Swiss rank of General, and was possibly Switzerland's most famous soldier...

to forbid air combat above Swiss territory.

Later in the war, the Allied bomber offensive

Strategic bombing during World War II

Strategic bombing during World War II is a term which refers to all aerial bombardment of a strategic nature between 1939 and 1945 involving any nations engaged in World War II...

sometimes took US or British bombers into Swiss airspace, either damaged craft seeking safe haven or even on occasions bombing Swiss cities

Bombings of Switzerland in World War II

Bombings of Switzerland in World War II consisted of initially sporadic bombing events that became more frequent during the later stage of World War II....

by accident. Swiss aircraft would attempt to intercept individual aircraft and force them to land, interning the crews. Only one further Swiss pilot was killed during the war, shot down by a US bomber crew in September 1944.

During the course of the war, official Swiss records count 6,501 airspace violations, with 198 foreign aircraft landing on Swiss territory and 56 aircraft crashed.

The Cold War

After World War II the service was renamed the Swiss Air Force and Anti-Aircraft

Anti-aircraft warfare

NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...

Command (Schweizerische Flugwaffe Kommando der Flieger und Fliegerabwehrtruppen) and in 1966 became a separate service independent from the Army

Army

An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...

, under its present name Schweizer Luftwaffe.

With the apparently imminent prospect of a new world war, this one involving Nuclear weapon

Nuclear weapon

A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...

s, Swiss military spending increased and jet aircraft were purchased: 75 De Havilland Vampire

De Havilland Vampire

The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served...

s in 1950, quickly followed by over 100 De Havilland Venom

De Havilland Venom

The de Havilland DH 112 Venom was a British postwar single-engined jet aircraft developed from the de Havilland Vampire. It served with the Royal Air Force as a single-seat fighter-bomber and two-seat night fighter....

s and the same number of Hawker Hunter

Hawker Hunter

The Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary...

s. The Venoms served until 1983, while Vampires and Hunters continued in active service until 1990 and 1994 respectively.

At the end of the 1950s, reflecting both the threat of possible invasion by the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

and the realities of nuclear warfare

Nuclear warfare

Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...

, Swiss military doctrine

Military doctrine

Military doctrine is the concise expression of how military forces contribute to campaigns, major operations, battles, and engagements.It is a guide to action, not hard and fast rules. Doctrine provides a common frame of reference across the military...

changed to mobile defense that included missions for the Air Force outside of its territory, in order to defeat standoff attacks and nuclear threats, including the possibility of defensive employment of air-delivered nuclear weapon

Nuclear weapon

s. However the inability to field an air force of sufficient capability to carry out such missions led to a return of traditional "protection of own territory" doctrine. Meanwhile, the Air Force also began to prepare ad-hoc airbases in the mountains, with sections of highway strengthened to act as runways

Highway strip

A highway strip is a section of a highway that is specially built to allow landing of military aircraft and to serve as a military airbase. These were built to allow military aircraft to operate even if their airbases, the most vulnerable targets in any war, are destroyed...

and hangars carved out of the mountains

Aircraft cavern

Aircraft cavern is the literal translation of the German word Flugzeugkaverne. A Flugzeugkaverne is an underground hangar used by the Swiss Air Force.-Design:...

.

In 1954 the first Air Radar Recruit School was activated, the first early warning radar systems were installed and the concept of command & control facilities at mountain summits was introduced; leading to acquisition of the FLORIDA early warning and command guidance system in 1965 followed by the current FLORAKO system in 2003. At the same time, ground-based air defence projects were initiated such as radar-equipped medium-caliber guns with an integrated 63 Superfledermaus (Superbat) fire control system' as well as the BL-64 ‘Bloodhound’ air defense missile system (1964–1999).

Switzerland did not invest in development of its own combat aircraft. In 1964 the procurement of the Dassault Mirage III fighters (1964–2002) caused a scandal due to severe budget overruns. The air force commander, the chief of the general Staff and the minister of defense were forced to resign, followed by a complete restructuring of the air force and air defense units as of February 1, 1968 and leading to separation of users and procurement officials.

In 1969 air force, air force logistics and air defense were reassigned into brigades. The Armed Forces Meteo Group and Avalanche Rescue Service came under air force and air defense command and the Para Reconnaissance Company was established.

The 1970s were the years of historic major maneuvers with over 22,000 participants. Also a new air defense concept was introduced in which the air superiority fighter

Air superiority fighter

An air superiority fighter is a type of fighter aircraft intended to gain air superiority in a war, by entering and seizing control of enemy airspace. Air superiority fighters are designed to effectively engage enemy fighters, more than other types of aircraft...

as opposed to a pure interceptor was central. In 1974 the first 2 Northrop F-5 Tiger fighters were tested and in 1978 the first F-5 Tiger fighter/interceptor squadron became operational. The F-5 is currently still operational but is scheduled to be replaced in 2015.

After the Cold war

In the late 1980s the changing political and military world situations implied the need of a multirole aircraft in the Swiss air force. After evaluation, the performance of the F/A-18 Hornet

F/A-18 Hornet

The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is a supersonic, all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to dogfight and attack ground targets . Designed by McDonnell Douglas and Northrop, the F/A-18 was derived from the latter's YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and...

was the decisive factor in its selection. Designed for carrier-borne

Aircraft carrier

An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...

operations, it was felt to be well suited to operations on short runways with steep takeoffs. Its radar allows the F/A-18 to detect and simultaneously engage multiple targets with long-range guided missiles.

Between 1996 and 1999, 33 licence-built

Licence-built

The term licence-built refers to an object manufactured by one organisation with the authorisation of the organisation that owns the intellectual property of the design...

Hornets left the assembly lines at Emmen

Emmen, Switzerland

Emmen is a city in the district of Hochdorf in the canton of Lucerne in Switzerland.-Geography:Emmen has an area of . Of this area, 46.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 18.2% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 33.3% is settled and the remainder is non-productive . , 18.19% of the...

. With a length of 17 metres, the F/A-18 is longer than the Mirage III. Its wingspan of 12 metres exceeds the F-5 Tiger’s by 4 metres. Therefore the existing caverns in the mountains had to be extended, a continuing process as of 2011. The Swiss F/A-18 weighs 17 tons, approximately 2.5x as much as the Tiger. It can easily load 7 tons, about 6x the useful load of the retired Hawker Hunter

Hawker Hunter

. The engines provide for a thrust of 16 tons, approximately 3.5x as much performance as the F-5 engines.

Historical inventory

Numbers & aircraft types	Operational	Phased out	Remarks
84× Aérospatiale Alouette III	1964	2010	utility helicopter
20× British Aerospace Hawk 66	1990	2002	2-seater instructor
4× Dassault Mirage IIIC	1966	1990	testing-fighter
57× Mirage IIIS	1969	1997	fighter-interceptor
18× Mirage IIIRS	1965	2003	recon
4× Mirage IIIDS	1964	1983	2 seater instructor
160× Hawker Hunter	1958	1994	Mk58/58A fighter-ground attack, T Mk68 2 seater trainer (8x)
126× De Havilland DH112 Mk1 Venom	1953	1965	fighter, most aircraft broken up 1964
24× De Havilland DH112 Mk1R Venom	1956	1970	recon
100× De Havilland DH112 Mk4 Venom	1957	1966	fighter-ground attack, most aircraft broken up 1965
4× De Havilland DH100 Mk1 Vampire	1946	1961	testing-fighter, later used as Anti-Aircraft targets
75× De Havilland DH100 Mk6 Vampire	1949	1973	ex RAF fighter; most aircraft broken up 1968/69
100× De Havilland DH100 Mk6 Vampire	1951	1988	license built fighter; most aircraft broken up 1974
39× De Havilland DH115 Mk55 Vampire	1953	1990	2-seater trainer

Mission

In 1995 the Swiss implemented a defensive plan that made control of Swiss airspace its highest and main priority. Modernization of the Air Force to achieve this mission was subject to popular referenda

Referendum

A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...

challenging its cost and practice.

The mission of the Swiss Air Force is as follows:

General control and protection of Swiss airspace.
Guaranteeing air sovereignty by means of air policing tasking.
Guaranteeing air defence throughout the country.
Capability of executing airlift ops.
Gathering and disseminating intelligence for political/military leadership.

Current status

Through the years the Swiss air force traditionally had been a militia-based service, including its pilots, with an inventory of approximately 450 aircraft whose operational service life overlapped several eras. Beginning with its separation from the Army in 1966 however, the air force has been down-sizing (currently approximately 230 fixed and rotary-wing aircraft) and moving towards a small professional cadre with fewer reserves and low-graduated conscripted personnel for general tasks. Currently the Swiss air force has a peacetime strength of 1600 professional military personnel with a recall to about 20.000 reservists.

Its front-line air defence asset consists of 33 F-18 Hornets and 54 F-5 Tiger IIs (originally 110 purchased in 1978-1985). The F/A-18 pilots are all full-time professional military; the F-5 pilots however are reservists. These (mostly airliner or freightliner pilots) do also have an F-5 rating. During certain periods they are being assigned for military duties and have to comply to the operational live flying training. In 2008 the Swiss Hornet component reached the 50,000 flight hour milestone. All Swiss Hornets remain highly capable due to the Upgrade 21 (UG21) programme conducted between 2004 and 2009 at RUAG

RUAG

RUAG is a Swiss technology company, with its headquarters in Bern. It has production sites in Switzerland , Germany , Sweden , Hungary and Austria .-Structure:The RUAG has following subsidiaries:*RUAG Aerospace RUAG is a Swiss technology company, with its headquarters in Bern. It has production...

, while another Mid-Life Update (MLU) will begin shortly.

From 2011 the air force intends to start the Partial F-5 Tiger Replacement programme for 22 new aircraft. Candidate types are the JAS 39 Gripen

JAS 39 Gripen

The Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a lightweight single-engine multirole fighter manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. It was designed to replace the Saab 35 Draken and 37 Viggen in the Swedish Air Force...

, Eurofighter Typhoon

Eurofighter Typhoon

The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole combat aircraft, designed and built by a consortium of three companies: EADS, Alenia Aeronautica and BAE Systems; working through a holding company, Eurofighter GmbH, which was formed in 1986...

and Dassault Rafale

Dassault Rafale

The Dassault Rafale is a French twin-engine delta-wing multi-role jet fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. Introduced in 2000, the Rafale is being produced both for land-based use with the French Air Force and for carrier-based operations with the French Navy...

.

On 10 December 2010, the last 20 aging Aérospatiale Alouette III

Aérospatiale Alouette III

The Aérospatiale Alouette III is a single-engine, light utility helicopter developed by Sud Aviation. It was manufactured by Aérospatiale of France, and under licence by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in India as Hal Chetak and Industria Aeronautică Română in Romania.The Alouette III is the...

were replaced by 2 VIP configuration Eurocopter EC135

Eurocopter EC135

The Eurocopter EC135 is a twin-engine civil helicopter produced by Eurocopter, widely used amongst police and ambulance services and for executive transport. It is capable of flight under instrument flight rules .-Development:...

s and 18 EC635s. The first EC-635 was delivered in 2008.

Limitations

A report in the Swiss news magazine FACTS

Facts

Facts usually refers to the usage as a plural noun of fact, an incontrovertible truth.Facts may also refer to:*Carroll, Lewis, who wrote a poem called "Facts"*FACTS , program produced by Asia Television in Hong Kong....

reveals that in peacetime, the Swiss air force only provides ready-to-take-off aircraft during office hours on working days. The air force staff stated a peacetime 24/7 operational flying status as "mission impossible", due to budget limitations and limited professional (flying) personnel capacity. This did not apply to the air defense radar coverage of which 24/7 peacetime operational capacity was guaranteed. One major problem in defending Swiss airspace is the small size of the country: the maximum extension of Switzerland is 348 km, a distance that can be flown in little over 20 minutes by commercial aircraft and much faster by military fast jets. Noise abatement issues also have been a traditional problem for the air force because of the tourist industry. Due to these reasons, the Swiss air force more and more participates in NATO air defense training exercises with their Belgian, French or German counterparts. In recent years this included operations for the 2006 Winter Olympics

2006 Winter Olympics

The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...

in Turin

Turin

Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...

, the Euro 2008 football championships and the annual World Economic Forum

World Economic Forum

The World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland....

Operational structure

The 2009 Swiss air forces operational order of battle

Order of battle

In modern use, the order of battle is the identification, command structure, strength, and disposition of personnel, equipment, and units of an armed force participating in field operations. Various abbreviations are in use, including OOB, O/B, or OB, while ORBAT remains the most common in the...

is as follows:

Bern - Belp International Airpt.
- Air Force HQ
- LTDB (VIP
  VIP
  VIP and V.I.P. is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:-In general:* Vacuum insulated panel* Values, Influence, and Peers, an anti-crime campaign in Ontario elementary schools* Variable Information Printing, a form of on-demand printing...
  
  flights)
Militärflugplatz Dübendorf
Dübendorf
Dübendorf is a municipality in the district of Uster in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.It is a suburb of Zürich in Switzerland with a population of about 23,000 . It is the fourth largest city in the canton, after Zürich, Winterthur, and Uster.-History:Dübendorf is first mentioned in 946 as...

(army airfield), a former fighter/interceptor base and current homebase of
- Swiss Air Force Command
  - Air Defense & Direction Center (the air defense C3 airops center)
  - Skyguide (military & civil airtraffic control)
- 3rd Airlift Wing
  - 3rd and 4th Air Transport Sqn with AS 332M-1/AS 532UL/EC635 P2+
Flugplatzkommando 2 Alpnach
Alpnach
Alpnach is a village in the canton of Obwalden in Switzerland.-Geography:Alpnach has an area, , of . Of this area, 32.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 54.1% is forested...

(airbase 2), a helicopter airlift/logistic base and maintenance unit.
- 2nd Airlift Wing; consisting of:
  - 6th Air Transport Sqn with AS 332M-1/AS 532UL/EC 635 P2+
  - 8th Air Transport Sqn with AS 332M-1/AS 532UL/EC 635 P2+
Militärflugplatz Buochs
Buochs
Buochs is a municipality in the canton of Nidwalden in Switzerland.-History:Buochs is first mentioned in 1124 as Boches. In 1184 it was mentioned as Buoches in 1210 as Buches, and in 1229 as Buchs.-Geography:...

(army airfield), a deactivated former air defense base. Currently marked as "sleeping airbase" open for civil and sport aviation. In time of crisis the military airfield installations may be made operational at very short notice as there still are aircraft shelter facilities inside the nearby mountain ridge.
Flugplatzkommando 4 Locarno
Locarno
Locarno is the capital of the Locarno district, located on the northern tip of Lake Maggiore in the Swiss canton of Ticino, close to Ascona at the foot of the Alps. It has a population of about 15,000...

(airbase 4), a flight training base (PC-6/7/9's); Para Recon Training base, Light Airlift base
Flugplatz Ambri
Ambri
Ambri is a town in the municipality of Quinto, Levintina, Switzerland. Other towns close to Ambri includes Piotta, Airolo and Fiesso.- Sports :The town hosts the professional ice hockey team HC Ambri-Piotta. Ambri is also a popular are for hiking....

, a former air defense base hosting Hawker Hunters. Currently deactivated and open for commercial flights. The aircraft storage facilities inside the mountain ridge are empty but still available.
Flugplatz Interlaken
Interlaken
Interlaken is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the Canton of Bern in Switzerland, a well-known tourist destination in the Bernese Oberland.-History:...

, a former fighter/interceptor base hosting 12 F-5 Tigers. Currently deactivated and closed for all air traffic; converted into a leisure area.
Flugplatzkommando 7 Emmen
Emmen, Switzerland
Emmen is a city in the district of Hochdorf in the canton of Lucerne in Switzerland.-Geography:Emmen has an area of . Of this area, 46.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 18.2% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 33.3% is settled and the remainder is non-productive . , 18.19% of the...

(airbase 7), a fighter/interceptor base hosting
- Fliegerstaffel (Fighter/Interceptorsqn) 8, with F-5 Tiger
- Dronensqn (Dronesqn) 7 with ADS-95
  RUAG Ranger
  RANGER is a tactical UAV system by Swiss aerospace enterprise RUAG Aerospace. Its design and some of its technology is based on the Scout UAV system by Israel Aerospace Industries....
- 7th Air Transport Sqn with Pilatus PC-6
  Pilatus PC-6
  |-See also:-References:* Lambert, Mark. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1993–1994. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Data Division, 1993. ISBN 0 7106 1066 1.* Taylor, John W. R. Janes's All The World's Aircraft 1965–66. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1965....
Flugplatz Lodrino
Lodrino, Switzerland
Lodrino is a municipality in the district of Riviera in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:Lodrino is first mentioned in 857 as Ludrini. In 1193 it was mentioned as Ludrino....

, a former air defense base hosting Hawker Hunters. Currently deactivated and open for commercial flights.
Flugplatz Mollis
Mollis
Mollis is a former municipality in the canton of Glarus in Switzerland. Effective from 1 January 2011, Mollis is part of the municipality of Glarus Nord.-Geography:...

, a former air defense base hosting Hawker Hunters. Currently deactivated and open for commercial flights. Aircraft storage facilities inside the mountain ridge are empty but still available.
Flugplatzkommando 11 Payerne
Payerne
Payerne is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Vaud. It was the seat of the district of Payerne, and is now part of the district of Broye-Vully....

(airbase 11), an air defense base hosting
- Escadrille Transport Aérien (Airliftsqn) 1 with Alouette III and Super Puma
- Fightersqn 17 and 18 with F/A-18C/D
  F/A-18 Hornet
  The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is a supersonic, all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to dogfight and attack ground targets . Designed by McDonnell Douglas and Northrop, the F/A-18 was derived from the latter's YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and...
- Flight Training Unit 31
  - 12th Air Target (Drone) Sqn with Pilatus PC-9
    Pilatus PC-9
    The Pilatus PC-9 is a single-engine, low-wing tandem-seat turboprop training aircraft manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland.-Design and development:...
    
    /F-5E
Flugplatzkommando 13 Meiringen
Meiringen
-References:...

(airbase 13), an air defense base hosting
- Fightersqn 11 with F/A-18C/D
Flugplatzkommando 14 Sion
Sion, Switzerland
Sion is the capital of the Swiss canton of Valais. it had a population of .Landmarks include the Basilique de Valère and Château de Tourbillon. Sion has an airfield for civilian and military use, which, because of its location in a valley, causes a reasonable amount of noise pollution. FC Sion...

(airbase 14), a fighter/interceptor base hosting
- Fighter/Interceptorsqn 19 with F-5 Tiger

Air defense

During the past 35 years Swiss military and civil airspace control depended on the FLORIDA (FLugsicherungs Operations Radar IDentifikation Alarm - Flight Ops. Radar Identifying and Alerting) air defense system.

Since its phasing out however the Swiss airspace control and defence is being carried out by the THALES

Thales

Thales of Miletus was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher from Miletus in Asia Minor, and one of the Seven Sages of Greece. Many, most notably Aristotle, regard him as the first philosopher in the Greek tradition...

Raytheon

Raytheon Company is a major American defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. It was previously involved in corporate and special-mission aircraft until early 2007...

FLORAKO. This system is being operated from 4 fixed locations at the summits of the Pilatus, Scopi, Weisshorn and Weissfluh mountains in the Alps.

At least one of these Command, Control and Communications (C3) facilities is always connected to the Air Defense & Direction Center (the ADDC or air ops center) at Dübendorf

Dübendorf

and fully operational on-line on a 24/7 basis, controlling the Swiss airspace. Depending of the international situation more facilities will be manned up and in case of crisis or war (ADDC and 4 facilities operational) the covered airspace will be extended far beyond the Swiss boundaries. Each of these AirOps facilities is capable to make all battle management decisions in case the ADDC or the other AirOps facilities might be eliminated.

The first FLORAKO unit was activated in 2003 and the operational lifetime of this hi-tech system is guaranteed by its manufacturers for at least 25 years. The system consists of:

A communication system KOMSYS. Integrating element of all geographically divided parts of the FLORAKO system uniting speech and datacommunications and systemcommands in a single data network.
A radarstation FLORES. Consisting of standard hi-power search radars, advanced radars (search mode, hi-update ratio and special functions) and civil authority monopulse secondary radars. The 4 radar stations are the main data sources and are complemented by existent military and civil radar data.
A radar layersystem RALUS. Translating the data automatically into flight paths and producing a complete civil-military air picture for all authorities.
A warning message system LUNAS-EZ. AirOps Centers are the combining factors between the FLORAKO-system with real-time data (air picture, planning and environmental data) and its military users. Workpositions are identical configured and built accordingly to latest ergonomics, state of the art visual colour hi-res technology, menu guidance and known user environment. The Dübendorf
Dübendorf
Dübendorf is a municipality in the district of Uster in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.It is a suburb of Zürich in Switzerland with a population of about 23,000 . It is the fourth largest city in the canton, after Zürich, Winterthur, and Uster.-History:Dübendorf is first mentioned in 946 as...

Air Defense & Direction Center, as well as the AirOps units in the Alps, are equally equipped thus assuring all time operational redundancy in
- producing the actual airpicture
- permanent guarding of the Swiss airspace
- early warning
- command and control
- air policing
- coordination of civil and military air traffic
The Military-Civil Airspace Management System MICAMS. This, secondary, system offers a computing backup for flexible airspace use for both civil and military flight security.

The radar system may eventually be completed by 2 mobile TAFLIR (TAktische FLIeger Radars - Tactical Flight Radars). These Ground master 200 type AN/MPQ-64 radars are a variant of the Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American global aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth-largest defense contractor in the world as of 2010, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over...

AN/TPS-75

The AN/TPS-75 is a transportable 3-dimensional air search radar produced in the United States. It was originally designated the TPS-43E2. Although the antenna is a radically new design from the TPS-43, the radar van itself, which houses the transmitter, reveiver processors, and displays is very...

and are deployable in areas of difficult terrain or where specific coverage is needed. Peacetime TAFLIR deployment locations are at Dübendorf

Dübendorf

and Emmen. In time of crisis or at war they will be deployed anywhere.

Ground Based Air Defense

The Ground Based Air Defence (GBAD) is currently headquartered at Emmen airbase. Since the deactivation of the former BL-64 "Bloodhound" missile system it achieves its task by operating a triple combined mobile coverage system
consisting of:

Rapier
Rapier missile
Rapier is a British surface-to-air missile developed for the British Army and Royal Air Force. Entering service in 1971, it eventually replaced all other anti-aircraft weapons in Army service; guns for low-altitude targets, and the English Electric Thunderbird, used against longer-range and...

the mobile 10 km range surface-to-air missile system with its components
- launcher/surveillance radar/IFF combination
- tracker radar
- display unit
- 2 generators
- 2x 4 missiles
FIM-92 Stinger
FIM-92 Stinger
The FIM-92 Stinger is a personal portable infrared homing surface-to-air missile , which can be adapted to fire from ground vehicles and helicopters , developed in the United States and entered into service in 1981. Used by the militaries of the U.S...

MANPAD 10 km range surface-to-air missile systems (fire & forget system)
Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannon
Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannon
The Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannon is a towed anti-aircraft gun made by Oerlikon Contraves . The system was originally designated as 2 ZLA/353 ML but this was later changed to GDF-001...

s 4 km range firing unit with its component
- firecontrol system 75/95 (15 km detection range)

Aircraft

! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Image
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Versions
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In service
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
|-
|

| rowspan=2|McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet || rowspan=2| || rowspan=2|Multirole fighter || F/A-18C || 26 || rowspan=2| Fightersqns 17, 18 (AB Payerne) and 11 (AB Meiringen)
|-
|
| F/A-18D || 7
|-
|
| rowspan=2|Northrop F-5 Tiger II || rowspan=2| built under license from the United States|| rowspan=2|Fighter-Interceptor || F-5E || 42 || rowspan=2| Fighter/Interceptor Squadrons 8 (AB Emmen) and 19 (AB Sion). Current use: interception, aerobatics, target-towing and electronic warfare

Electronic warfare

Electronic warfare refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults via the spectrum. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly...

training - scheduled to be replaced by 2015.
|-
|
| F-5F || 12 Current use: air policing and electronic warfare

Electronic warfare

|-
|-
|
| Saab JAS 39 Gripen || || Multirole fighter || || None || 22 ordered to replace aging F-5 Tiger by 2015.
|-
|
| Pilatus PC-7 Turbo trainer

Pilatus PC-7

The Pilatus PC-7 Turbo Trainer is a low-wing tandem-seat training aircraft, manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. The aircraft is capable of all basic training functions including aerobatics, instrument, tactical and night flying. It has been selected by more than twenty air forces as...

|| || Trainer || NCPC-7 || 28 || AB Locarno
|-
|
| Pilatus PC-9

Pilatus PC-9

The Pilatus PC-9 is a single-engine, low-wing tandem-seat turboprop training aircraft manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland.-Design and development:...

|| || Trainer || PC-9/F || 11 || Flight Training Unit 31 (AB Payerne)
|-
|
| Pilatus PC-21

Pilatus PC-21

|-See also:-External links:*http://www.pilatus-aircraft.com*http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/pc_21**...

|| || Advanced trainer || PC-21 || 8 || AB Locarno
|-
|

| Beechcraft 1900

Beechcraft 1900

The Beechcraft 1900 is a 19-passenger, pressurized twin-engine turboprop airplane manufactured by the Beechcraft Division of the Raytheon Company . It was designed, and is primarily used, as a regional airliner...

|| || VIP transport || 1900D || 1 || Bern-Belp Airport
|-
|
| DHC-6 Twin Otter || || Photomapping || DHC-6 || 1 || Militärflugplatz Dübendorf
|-
|
| Beechcraft Super King Air

Beechcraft Super King Air

The Beechcraft Super King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by the Beech Aircraft Corporation . The King Air line comprises a number of model series that fall into two families: the Model 90 series, Model 100 series , Model 200 series and Model 300 series...

|| || Photomapping || 350C || 1 || Militärflugplatz Dübendorf
|-
|
| Pilatus PC-6 Turbo-Porter

Pilatus PC-6

|-See also:-References:* Lambert, Mark. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1993–1994. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Data Division, 1993. ISBN 0 7106 1066 1.* Taylor, John W. R. Janes's All The World's Aircraft 1965–66. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1965....

|| || Light transport || PC-6/B2-H2M-1 || 15 || Airliftsqn 7 (AB Emmen) + HB-FCF from armasuisse
|-
|
| Dassault Falcon 50

Dassault Falcon 50

|-See also:-References:* Taylor, John W R. . Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1988-89. Coulsdon, Surrey, UK:Jane's Information Group. ISBN 0-7106-0867-5.-External links:* *...

|| || VIP transport || Falcon 50 || 1 (T-783)|| Bern-Belp Airpt.
|-
|
| Pilatus PC-12

Pilatus PC-12

The Pilatus PC-12 is a single-engine turboprop passenger and cargo aircraft manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. The main market for the aircraft is corporate transport and regional airliner operators.-Design and development:...

|| || Test and transport || PC-12 || 1 || Armasuisse HB-FOG, Militärflugplatz Dübendorf
|-
|

| Cessna Citation Excel

Cessna Citation Excel

|-Operators:The aircraft is operated by private individuals, companies, fractionals, charter operators and aircraft management companies.*******-See also:-External links:* * *...

|| || VIP transport || Ce-560XL || 1 || Bern-Belp Airpt.
|-
|

| ADS-95 Ranger

RUAG Ranger

RANGER is a tactical UAV system by Swiss aerospace enterprise RUAG Aerospace. Its design and some of its technology is based on the Scout UAV system by Israel Aerospace Industries....

|| || UAV || ADS-95 || 24 || Drone Sqn 7 (AB Emmen)

Source: Swiss Armed Forces - Air Force assets (p. 12); Schweizer Luftwaffe - Mittel: Flugzeuge, Helikopter, Flab

Helicopters

Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma

The Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma is a four-bladed, twin-engine, medium-size utility helicopter marketed for both civil and military use. Originally designed and built by Aérospatiale, it is an enlarged and re-engined version of the original Aérospatiale Puma...

|| || Medium airlift || AS332M1 || 15 || AB Payerne, Militärflugplatz Dübendorf
|-
| || Eurocopter AS532 Cougar || || Medium airlift || AS532UL || 12 || AB Alpnach. One Eurocopter Cougar crashed for unknown reason on March 30, 2011 on a training flight in the valley of Maderan (Maderanertal)
|-
| rowspan=2| || rowspan=2|Eurocopter EC635 || rowspan=2| || Utility || EC635 P2+ || 18 || rowspan=2|AB Alpnach
|-
| VIP transport || EC635 P2+ VIP || 2
|-

Source: Swiss Armed Forces - Air Force assets (p. 12); Schweizer Luftwaffe - Mittel: Flugzeuge, Helikopter, Flab

Anti-aircraft

Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannon

The Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannon is a towed anti-aircraft gun made by Oerlikon Contraves . The system was originally designated as 2 ZLA/353 ML but this was later changed to GDF-001...

|| || AAA gun || 45 || a.k.a. "Flab Kanone 63/90"
|-
| FIM-92 Stinger

FIM-92 Stinger

The FIM-92 Stinger is a personal portable infrared homing surface-to-air missile , which can be adapted to fire from ground vehicles and helicopters , developed in the United States and entered into service in 1981. Used by the militaries of the U.S...

|| || MANPAD infrared guided missile || 288 ||
|-
| Rapier missile

Rapier missile

Rapier is a British surface-to-air missile developed for the British Army and Royal Air Force. Entering service in 1971, it eventually replaced all other anti-aircraft weapons in Army service; guns for low-altitude targets, and the English Electric Thunderbird, used against longer-range and...

|| || surface-air guided missile || 54 || a.k.a. "Mobile Lenkwaffen Flugabwehr"

Source: Swiss Armed Forces - Air Force assets (p. 12); Schweizer Luftwaffe - Mittel: Flugzeuge, Helikopter, Flab

External links

Official website
Air Defense Direction Center
TAFLIR information
All Swiss armed forces facilities at the Zone Interdite website
Swiss Air Force 21st Century - Unofficial web site about the contemporary Swiss Air Force
www.lineup09.ch - Official web site of Swiss Airforce's Pilot Class 2009 (PK 09)

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.