Swiss Air Force 90 years In 2004, the Schweizer Luftwaffe (Swiss air force) will celebrate its 90th anniversary. The very same year will also mark the start of Armee XXI, the reference for the restructured armed forces. A review of the current Swiss air force. Text and photos: Emiel Sloot On 1 January 1996, the previous Armee 95 structure Armee XXI programme by referendum on 18 May was established, following an earlier cost-cutting 2003. The armed forces will still largely depend on and efficiency improvement programme that had militia personnel with lasting neutrality as keyword, resulted in a downsized air arm, while the anti- since the country will not join any military alliance. aircraft defence was integrated within the air force. Regarding the air force, Armee XXI means a Air bases at Ambri, St. Stephan and Raron had significant decrease in numbers of both equipment closed, after the Hunter fleet was withdrawn from and units. The F-5E Tiger fleet was reduced from 85 service in December 1994. The Armee XXI plan was to 54 aircraft, while of some 63 Alouette IIIs, only 35 launched in October 2001 as another project to cut remain. The Mirage IIIRS and Hawk Mk 66 have costs and shrink the size of the armed forces, in been completely withdrawn. This left the air force order to make them more flexible, efficient and solely dependent on the realtime TV and IR sensors effective, as Armee 95 was felt to be no longer on their RUAG ADS95 Ranger UAVs regarding reflecting the current army needs. Although no direct aerial reconnaissance, and also created a large gap threat exists, airspace breaches such as those between the Pilatus PC-7 and F-5F for fighter pilot during international meetings like G8 and World training. The reductions allowed the air force to Economic Forum meetings, attacks on Swiss UN abandon more air bases, such as Turtmann, troops abroad, and terrorist attacks on Swiss or Buochs, Interlaken and Lodrino (the latter three now neighbouring soils, are all regarded as main have a ‘sleeping’ status), while helicopter base possible threats. Ulrichen already closed in 1999. An ongoing discussion involves the suspension of jet flying from Armee XXI Dübendorf, now still one of the main bases. Following parliamentary approval on 4 October Simultaneous to the mentioned cuts, the emphasis 2002, 76 pct of the Swiss voters confirmed the on air transport increased, as 12 AS532UL Cougars were taken on charge in 2001 and 2002. all equipment. Furthermore, the Florako air surveillance radar Aircraft are assigned on a daily basis to the various system, consisting of fixed (including Skyguide- units by Fliegerbrigade 31, depending on their operated civil systems) and mobile Taflir radar sites, needs, so they rotate very frequently. In peacetime, control and training centres, will become fully the Überwachungsgeschwader (UeG) consists of operational in 2005, concluding a contract worth the three F/A-18 squadrons (Fliegerstaffel 11, SFR 728 million. The air force’s F/A-18C and -D Escadrille d’Aviation 17 and Fliegerstaffel 18) that Hornets are presently receiving an avionics generally operating out of Dübendorf and Payerne, upgrade. and the Gruppe Hubschrauber Lufttransport des The air arm’s current main task is air defence and air UeG (Helicopter Air Transport Group), that is policing. Situated in the heart of Europe, a huge directed from Alpnach. Directly controlled by number of aircraft cross Swiss airspace daily. Fliegerbrigade 31 are Zielflugstaffel 12 (target Furthermore, the 11 September 2001 attacks have towing squadron 12, equipped with PC-9s); shown vulnerability to slow-moving intruders. A good Instrumentenflugstaffel 14 (IF training squadron 14, example to counteract these was the industrial G8 with PC-7s); Ausbildungs- und Dienststaffel 16 summit, that took place at Evian in June 2003, when (training and service squadron 16 with F-5Fs); and Hornets flew combat air patrols over the meeting Drohnenstaffel 7 (drone squadron 7, with ADS95 site. Other tasks are various transportation tasks, Rangers). These four units can operate out of aerial reconnaissance, SAR, medevac and disaster different bases, depending to their missions, rather relief. All these duties are carried out by the than having a fixed home base. Überwachungsgeschwader (air surveillance wing) In times of mobilisation, it will become a rather with F/A-18 Hornets and transport aircraft. The air force trains its own personnel to meet their high standards. Organization The difference between peace and wartime organizations, together with the flexible use of air bases in the heart of the alpine region, make the Swiss air force rather unique. Directly responsible to the chief of staff is the chief of operations, who controls four brigades: Fliegerbrigade 31 (Air Force Brigade 31), controlling all flying units (except for the pilot schools); Flugplatzbrigade different story. The around 30,000 militia air force 32 (Air Base Brigade 32) is responsible for the air personnel will return to active duty, and join the base equipment and infrastructure; 1,950 full-time staff. Three militia squadrons Flugabwehrbrigade 33 (Anti-Aircraft Brigade 33), operating F-5E Tiger IIs will become fully with its Oerlikon 63/90 35-mm AAA, Rapier and operational: Escadrille d’Aviation 6, and Stinger guided missile regiments, protects all armed Fliegerstaffeln 8 and 19. Furthermore, the transport forces installations; and Informatikbrigade 34 (C³I squadrons will also be reinforced with militiamen Brigade 34) handles command, control and and -women. The Hornet squadrons are manned communications intelligence matters, as well as exclusively by full-time pilots. Nominal squadron airspace surveillance. The Florako surveillance strength is eight aircraft plus three reserve, and system is also controlled by Brigade 34. The some dozen pilots. Hornet’s onboard sensors can be linked to Florako Next, all units will relocate to their wartime locations. for a realtime picture. Beside these brigades, In Armee XXI, three fighter bases will each house Luftwaffenunterhaltsdienst 35 (Air Force one F/A-18 and one F-5 squadron. Payerne will host Maintenance Service 35) maintains and overhauls Fliegergeschwader 11 (air wing 11 controlling Esc Av 6 and 17). Meiringen houses Fliegergeschwader 13 Due to the 2001 Swissair bankruptcy, the career (Fl St 8 and 11), while at Sion Fliegergeschwader 14 perspectives for them have become rather (Fl St 18 and 19) will be based. Four air transport pessimistic, unfortunately. Before that, they could wings with a total of seven squadrons of Super easily enter Swissair with an advantageous place on Pumas, Cougars, Alouette IIIs and PC-6s will the seniority list of pilots, but this has changed relocate to Payerne (Lufttransportgeschwader 1 with dramatically now with the new Swiss Airlines laying Escadrille de Transport Aérien 1 and off aircrew. Some pilots have tried to return to the air Lufttransportstaffel 5), Alpnach (LT Geschw 2 with force for full-time, but since the air force has hardly LT St 6 and 8) , Mollis and Dübendorf (LT Geschw 3 any vacancies as well, only a handful former full- with LT St 3 and 4), and Emmen (LT Geschw 7 with time pilots succeeded. LT St 7). Hornets Currently, the air force is spearheaded by its F/A- 18C/D Hornets. The SFR 3.49 billion order, placed in 1992 for 34 Block 48/49 aircraft (26 C and 8 D) and a large supply of spares, survived a national referendum on 6 June 1993, calling for cancellation. The first two aircraft (one single and one dual) were built by McDonnell Douglas in 1996, while as offset returns, the remainder was assembled by Swiss Aircraft & Systems Enterprise Corporation (S+F) in Emmen. The first of these (F/A-18D J-5232) first flew on 3 October 1996, and deliveries took place between 23 January To support the flying units, the based 1997 and 2 December 1999. The main spars are Flugplatzabteilung (air base department) and Flieger strengthened to extend the life time to 5,000 flying Kompagnie (aviation company) are responsible for hours. The US-built F/A-18D has unfortunately been the base infrastructure and the ground handling of lost in an accident due to pilot disorientation near the aircraft, including armament. Of the remaining Crans-Montana on 7 April 1998. The Hornets operational air bases, only Meiringen can house replaced all Mirage IIISs and some F-5Es, and equip fighters in cavern mountain hangars. These facilities Fl St 11, Esc Av 17 and Fl St 18 of the have been extensively overhauled for the last five Überwachungsgeschwader. Armament consists of years to house a squadron of F/A-18s, with four AIM-9L Sidewinders and four AIM-120B reconstructions completed by 23 October 2003. AMRAAM missiles. No air-to-ground weapons have To maintain the operational standard of especially been acquired by the Swiss. the militia squadrons, these are annually being Avionics include an AN/APG-73 radar and an activated for three weeks in a row, during which they AN/ALQ-165 ASPJ integrated ECM system. Until operate out of their destined wartime locations. 2006, SFR 407 million is put aside for a two-phase These exercises are called Wiederholungskurs upgrade programme, involving active AN/APX-111 (repetitive course), and involves all flying and IFF, a MIDS NATO compatible Link 16 datalink surface units related to a specific base. Beside this, terminal, improved moving map, an upgraded the squadrons also undergo half-a-dozen one-week mission computer and helmet-mounted cueing training courses (Trainungskurs) each year, that are systems, compatible to the AIM-9X. flown from various locations and are meant to maintain general proficiency. Most militia pilots have Tigers for sale joined Swiss Airlines after their military career, and The F-5E Tiger entered Swiss service in 1978.