Swiss armed forces to refocus on defence

The Swiss government intends to focus the Swiss armed forces more strongly on defence capabilities. The main emphasis is on countering hybrid threats and remote attacks.

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Defence Minister Martin Pfister told the media in Bern on Friday that, given the current heightened security threat, the armed forces need to be reoriented. This is to ensure that, in future, they can once again act as a force ready for deployment to protect the population and the country.

Pfister went on to state that this would require a reorientation of the operational concept, organisational adjustments and forward-looking defence planning. A key focus of the reform is the adaptation of the command structure: in future, all ground operations are to be led by operational divisions.

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This streamlining will lead to a significant reduction in the number of senior staff officers. The government intends to submit a proposal to parliament for the necessary legislative amendments.

The army is also to establish its first drone battalion by 2028. This will form the core for the systematic introduction of unmanned systems. The updated defence planning also provides for around 80% of investment to be channelled towards countering the most likely threats by 2039.

The focus here will be on strengthening air defence, protecting military personnel, and the deployment and defence against drones. The remaining 20% of the funds will be used to maintain capabilities to defend against a full-scale military attack.

Translated from German, sub-edited by ts