Councils decide on the army’s resources and strategic direction
Published: Wednesday, Feb 14th 2024, 17:01
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For the first time, the Federal Council is presenting Parliament with key figures on the strategic orientation of the armed forces for twelve years up to 2035. According to the latest Armed Forces Dispatch, a budget of just under CHF 26 billion can be planned for the years 2025 to 2028.
The Federal Council wrote on the decision that individual arms procurements should no longer be the focus of the Council's debates on the army. Rather, the capabilities that the army must develop or maintain in the long term in order to be able to fulfill its tasks should take this place.
Until now, Parliament has only been able to comment on the army dispatch from year to year, Defense Minister Viola Amherd told the media in Bern on Wednesday. "This should now change." The Federal Council wants to enter the discussion with a proposal based on various threat scenarios.
Strengthening defense capabilities
The Federal Council wants to strengthen the army's defense capabilities over the next few years. There are currently gaps, particularly in command and control and networking, in the intelligence network and radar sensors, but also in terms of effectiveness on the ground, in the air, in cyberspace and in electromagnetic space.
The payment framework requested by the Federal Council for the armed forces for the years 2025 to 2028 amounts to CHF 25.8 billion. Compared to the previous payment framework, this cost ceiling covers more: in addition to the financial requirements of the Defense and Armasuisse Real Estate Group, all areas of the Federal Armaments Office (Armasuisse) are now also covered.
It is planned that military expenditure will grow by 3 percent in real terms next year and the year after next, and by 5.1 percent in 2027 and 2028 respectively. This is in line with the budget and financial planning. The payment framework is intended to serve as a planning instrument for the future management of expenditure.
Billions for procurements
For the years 2024 to 2027, the Federal Council would like to make CHF 3.52 billion available for the procurement of military equipment. 2 billion francs are reserved for equipment and renewal requirements. 720 million francs for training ammunition and ammunition management. 800 million francs are earmarked for project planning, testing and procurement preparations.
Parliament will also decide this year on the 2024 armaments program with commitment credits totalling CHF 490 million. Among other things, the ground forces will be equipped with a new guided missile. The Federal Council also wants to procure semi-mobile sensors to better detect, locate, track and identify aircraft.
Two further commitment credits from the armaments program will be used to equip the existing DDPS computer centers and to connect main systems. A further commitment credit will enable the PC-7 training aircraft to be maintained.
New data center
The DDPS real estate program 2024 includes commitment credits totalling CHF 886 million. Among other things, these funds are earmarked for the construction of the new "Kastro II" data center, which is to be used exclusively for military purposes. It also includes buildings at the Frauenfeld TG and Bière VD military bases and a road relocation at the Emmen LU airfield.
At the media appearance by Defense Minister Viola Amherd and the head of the army, the main topic of discussion was the reports on the army's finances and plans from the beginning of February. Amherd reiterated that statements about a financial shortfall were not true.
The army is not insolvent and pays all contractually agreed invoices. There is always a backlog of projects. The army has been continuously weakened by cutbacks over the past 30 years. It will now take a few years to catch up, said the defense minister.
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