Soldiers will receive a dress uniform in the future only for representational purposes, such as members of a military band.
Keystone-SDA
Members of the Swiss Armed Forces will only receive a distinctive grey dress uniform, the famous “Tenü A”, for representational purposes in the future. This cost-cutting measure should help the army save CHF55 million ($60.3 million) over the next ten years.
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The army wants to use the saved funds to expand its defence capabilities, the defence ministry said on Tuesday.
Members of Switzerland’s militia army currently receive a dress uniform as part of their regular equipment; new and replacement uniforms cost CHF5.2 million annually.
The army wants to save up to 3% on personnel costs by 2030 – a maximum of around CHF210 million. This is to be achieved by reducing the number of posts via retirements. This means that not all people who retire will be replaced, confirmed army spokesperson Stefan Hofer. No redundancies are planned.
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Switzerland outlines budget plan to save billions of francs
The cost-cutting measures are the result of parliamentary decisions to reduce operating expenditure. The current security policy situation in Europe has also been taken into account. It is constantly examining further measures to reduce operating costs.
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Just under a month ago, it decided to halve the number of air force demonstrations and exhibitions in order to save money. The planning for personnel savings in 2025 has been completed, the statement continues.
The implementation of the savings in subsequent years is still to be coordinated with the Federal Council’s decisions regarding the tasks and subsidy review of the federal government.
Adapted from German by DeepL/sb
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