Air force receives green light for take-off and landing exercise on A1
Published: Wednesday, Jan 31st 2024, 10:40
Back to Live Feed
The Swiss Air Force has received the green light from the Federal Council for take-offs and landings of F/A-18 fighter jets on the A1 between Avenches VD and Payerne VD. The section of highway will be closed for a maximum of 36 hours from June 4 to June 6, 2024.
This was decided by the Federal Council on Wednesday. Planning is being carried out in close cooperation with the Federal Roads Office (Astra) and the cantonal police of Vaud and Fribourg, the Federal Council added. During the closure of the highway section, traffic will be diverted via the cantonal road network.
With the exercise on the A1, the Swiss Armed Forces are pursuing the goal of testing and expanding the ability to decentralize their air defence resources. The air force wants to test whether its fighter aircraft can also be deployed from improvised locations - such as highways.
The security situation in Europe has deteriorated further in recent years, particularly with the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, according to the Federal Council's statement. In order to continue fulfilling its core mission of protecting Switzerland and its population, the armed forces must consistently strengthen their defense capabilities in all areas of action (ground, air and cyberspace).
Air force sites vulnerable
The protection of airspace is a key element of defense capability. In addition to the air transport bases in Dübendorf ZH, Alpnach OW and Locarno TI, the Air Force currently has three jet airfields in Payerne, Emmen LU and Meiringen BE. This means that all of the air force's resources are concentrated in just a few locations, making it vulnerable to long-range weapon systems.
In order to minimize this risk, the air force is relying on decentralization as a passive air defence measure, among other things. Decentralization describes the ability to distribute troops and material throughout the country in the shortest possible time, the Federal Council continued.
The Swiss Air Force carried out similar tests in the 1970s and 1980s with Hunter and F5 Tiger fighter aircraft on stretches of highway on the Swiss Plateau.
©Keystone/SDA
English 
German 
French 
Spanish 
Arabic