Is a Joint Air Force of Switzerland and Austria Coming?

The paper explains that a joint air force of Switzerland with Austria could "save significant costs" and by setting security-relevant priorities, "increase security". The Social Democrats have adopted this position paper as a counter-proposal to the Swiss government's (Federal Council) rearmament plans. Defense Minister Martin Pfister from the party "The Center" particularly supports the acquisition of at least 30 F-35 fighter jets from the USA. For Pfister, this purchase is "without alternative".

Swiss Social Democrats Want to Align Air Force with Realistic Scenarios

The SP considers the arms deal to be too expensive on one hand. On the other hand, the F-35s are not suitable for the SP in light of new challenges posed by the massive use of drones in armed conflicts: An aggressor does not need to "advance with tank troops to the Rhine or use ballistic missiles," according to the position paper of the Swiss Social Democrats. Their co-leader in parliament, Samira Marti, told the "SonntagsZeitung": "We need to align the protection of our airspace with realistic scenarios." In this regard, she mentioned "hybrid attacks with drone swarms and cheap missiles". Therefore, the SP calls for a focus on "detection, electronic defense, and point defense". Specifically, rapidly deployable ground-to-air fire units and "light fighter jets" are needed to defend against low and slow-flying drones, which are much better suited for this task than F-35s, according to Marti.

Almost a year ago, Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP) announced that Austria would purchase twelve Leonardo M-346FA jets from the Italian manufacturer Leonardo - as successors to decommissioned training jets of the Saab 105 type. Leonardo had promoted them as a possible complement or alternative to the Eurofighters. The SP now proposes similar light machines like the M-346 for Switzerland instead of the F-35. These are "more agile, cost-effective, and efficient". However, since neutral Switzerland cannot do without high-performance fighter jets in air-to-air defense, the SP now wants Switzerland to cooperate with other European countries such as NATO member France and the equally neutral neighbor Austria to completely avoid the purchase of the F-35.

"Billion-Dollar Grave": Swiss Social Democrats Against F-35

The costs of the retrofitting planned by the government in Bern have significantly increased over time: According to the "SonntagsZeitung," the procurement of the F-35 and Patriot surface-to-air missiles, also from the USA, now amounts to around 9 billion Swiss francs (9.69 billion euros), including the additional costs incurred so far. The SP sees this as a "billion-dollar grave." They also want to prevent the purchase of the Patriot, while the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) insists on both the F-35 and the Patriot missiles: The F-35 is superior to other aircraft, light jets are not necessary, and a ground-based air defense with long range like the Patriots cannot be dispensed with, according to the Swiss Ministry of Defense in response to the SP proposals.

"We must rather cooperate with our reliable partners in Europe, within the framework of military neutrality," counters Marti. Autonomous national defense is "a relic of the past." Minister Pfister also recently emphasized the importance of reliable European partners - both in terms of economic and security policy relations. At the same time, he warned of gaps in ammunition, systems, and equipment and called for the rapid strengthening of the Swiss army. The government is currently examining various options, including a reduction in the number of aircraft or a supplementary credit. However, the fundamental decision for the F-35 remains unchanged. By the end of November, Pfister intends to present a proposal for the further course of action.

"Austria will always protect its airspace independently"

The Ministry of Defense did not want to comment on the domestic political debate in Switzerland. The Secretary-General and Director-General for Distribution Policy, Arnold Kammel, stated generally in response to an APA inquiry on Monday: "The protection of our own airspace is also a central task of our armed forces. Austria must and will always protect its airspace independently."

At the same time, Kammel emphasized in a written statement the importance of cooperation with other European countries, "to create coherence, better network armed forces, and procure cost-effectively." "Austria and Switzerland have been supporting each other for years, including in the protection of the World Economic Forum in Davos (...)." Both Austria and Switzerland, as neutral states, are also on board with the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI) to build an improved air defense over Europe, the senior official emphasized.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.