Federal Council decides to participate in “Sky Shield” initiative
Published: Wednesday, Apr 10th 2024, 12:51
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Switzerland is to participate in the European Sky Shield Initiative (Essi) air defense system. This has been decided by the Federal Council. The responsible parliamentary committees can now express their opinions.
On Wednesday, the Federal Council approved the declaration of accession to the Essi Cooperative Procurement Framework Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The "Sky Shield" initiative was launched by Germany in August 2022, six months after the first Russian attacks in Ukraine.
Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, it is intended to help close gaps in the current protective shield for Europe. The model for this is the Israeli Iron Dome. So far, eleven states have signed the declaration of accession to the MoU, writes the Federal Council.
The purpose of "Sky Shield" is to better coordinate and, if necessary, bundle air defense procurement projects. This should improve interoperability and enable economies of scale to be exploited in the procurement of systems. Cooperation in training, maintenance and logistics should also become possible.
Switzerland is free to decide
According to the Federal Council, the focus for Switzerland is on better coordination of procurement projects and training as well as logistical aspects in the area of ground-based air defense. According to the MoU, separate program agreements can be concluded for individual projects and programs.
Switzerland remains free to decide where and to what extent it participates in "Sky Shield" and which systems it procures for ground-based air defense. The Federal Council states that participation does not constitute a preliminary decision in favor of a particular system. And signing the declaration of accession to the MoU does not give rise to any new obligations.
This MoU implements a declaration of intent signed by Switzerland in summer 2023 to participate in "Sky Shield". In an additional declaration, Switzerland and Austria also set out reservations regarding neutrality - for example, to rule out participation in military conflicts.
Commissions can express their opinion
The SVP and the Pro Switzerland organization sharply criticized the planned commitment to "Sky Shield" in the summer of 2023. The people should have the final say on this. Defense Minister Viola Amherd said at the time that the decision-making authority lay with the entire Federal Council. This was not a decision that had to be made by Parliament and ultimately the people.
However, the responsible parliamentary committees can now express their opinions. If they have significant reservations, the Department of Defense (DDPS) will submit a proposal to the Federal Council on how to proceed. If, on the other hand, the Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Committees support the Federal Council's plans, the declaration of accession to the MoU will be definitively adopted.
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