history history began establishment hoc force consisting handful men outdated largely civilian aircraft 1930s effective air force established great cost capable inflicting embarrassing defeats course initially vigorous defence neutral swiss autonomous military service created october world war renamed der und separate service independent army present mission historically support ground troops invasions neutral swiss territory secondary mission defending sovereignty swiss world war doctrine severely tested switzerland literally caught middle air war subjected attacks aircraft combatants inability prevent violations neutrality led period complete cessation air followed practice small numbers submit end 1950s reflecting threat possible invasion soviet_union realities nuclear warfare swiss military doctrine changed dynamic mobile defense included missions outside territory order defeat attacks nuclear threats including possibility defensive employment air delivered nuclear weapons inability field air force sufficient capability carry missions led return traditional doctrine swiss abandoned traditional doctrine implemented defensive plan control swiss highest main priority modernization achieve mission subject popular challenging cost practice swiss balloon forces swiss military aviation began creation observation balloon force swiss engaged combat october near end world war german airplane accidentally attacked swiss observation balloon stationed close german border killed observer lieutenant balloon force eventually developments aviation obsolete heavier air aviation world war military trials civilian conducted resulting crashes failed persuade swiss authorities military utility airplane september participated pilot friend observer exercise demonstrated military possibilities aircraft beginning military aviation switzerland society collected approximately swiss large sum time national fund drive create air force order establishment august government decreed military pilots avoid payment expensive widow event casualties outbreak world war neutral switzerland indifference air power swiss military establishment prevented purchase modern required build effective air force end force consisted men flying privately owned july pilots killed crashes swiss aircraft armed ineffective pointed iron spikes dropped ground targets nominal commander swiss air arm cavalry captain real resigned post november army rudimentary air force defend swiss frequent german accidentally bombed german aircraft october purpose built military aircraft swiss air force seized german pilot forced landing foul weather near october june fighter planes acquired france swiss industry manufactured observation aircraft efforts build swiss fighter halted prototypes poor performance end war swiss air force pilots aircraft different makes suitable observation missions wartime budget million amounted swiss military expenditures interwar years continuing budgetary restraints air force remained overall state neglect 1920s seven war surplus acquired reconnaissance obtained postwar black market soon obsolete efforts develop indigenous aircraft unsuccessful seven pilots killed swiss military aircraft equipped considered fit service air force consisted aviation companies aerial photography airfield company decade following world war pilots observers trained complement air force officers enlisted men aircraft purchased quantity swiss built difficulty maintaining air force little funding time rapid technological development compounded swiss militia system handful military personnel citizen soldiers served weeks year following initial recruitment phase military pilot candidates underwent recruit training school officer candidate school swiss army officers followed pilot school days entered civilian life years service pilot training continued logged flight hours month required fly hours year convenience military civilian leadership decided establish effective air force december retrospect referred bill create air force asked approve spending million purchase french fighters manufacture dutch reconnaissance planes licence opposition collected signatures petition opposing bill parliament passed declined allow referendum issue optional time spending bills start massive armament programme consume billion years hitler rise power nazi_germany social democrats added support efforts supported popular initiative calling purchase thousand aircraft training thousand pilots citizens signed support nearly twice number necessary national popular vote federal government offered referendum proposal nearly extensive accepted percent majority large money acquire modern aircraft notably state art fighters germany million delivered april months outbreak world war need expand size pilot corps resulted acquisition trainers germany basic advanced trainers addition swiss factories licence built fighters manufactured domestically designed fighter bombers types remained service 1950s trainers october air arm reorganised renamed autonomous service analogous organizational autonomy developed need communicate radio links bad quality noisy environments aircraft start second world war world war switzerland mobilized august days germany attacked poland initiated world war fighter observation aircraft accounts country possessed units judged combat ready equipped aircraft air_force relied single seat line air defense addressed german french fighters swiss built aircraft introduced service switzerland opened aircraft factory built shelter aircraft maintenance personnel air attack example air gunnery range opened training formed combat ready night fighter squadron formed evaluation purposes disbanded role world war went distinct phases september air patrol attempt enforce comprehensive fly ban issued swiss government combatants largely ineffective kilometer border swiss fighters forbidden enter june air combat switzerland germany luftwaffe pilots tested swiss air defenses defeated july october total ban air operations release interned german aircraft pilots resulting swiss territory axis implementation strategy recognition air_force overwhelmed germans sustained campaign october resumption air patrols largely passive response measured numbers versus numbers violations defense swiss months war airmen anti aircraft soldiers saw sporadic combat germany commenced drive west swiss army mobilized second time onset campaign german military aircraft violated swiss combat involving began june days aerial battles german aircraft downed loss swiss aircraft airmen killed following incidents june chief luftwaffe protested attacks claiming german planes french luftwaffe entered swiss mistake germany demanded financial compensation apology swiss government second pointed demand june germany stated viewed air battles act aggression continued switzerland face sanctions retaliation day general ordered swiss units stop engaging foreign aircraft july apologized possible border violations swiss pilots admitting occurred july german government declared events settled engaging aircraft nations prohibited october strategic bombing bavaria austria allies increasing likelihood september swiss died combat shot american escorting crippled airfield entire war allied axis aircraft violated swiss aircraft landed swiss soil interned crashed swiss aircraft intercepted aircraft course crews preferred asylum swiss camps german italian camps forced land swiss bombers cooperate fired swiss axis type shot night fighter incident luftwaffe night fighter pursued british lancaster heavy bomber swiss night april engine trouble forced german pilot land airfield pilot interned international law swiss right fighter service germans concerned allied intelligence examine radar gun installation nazi government quickly negotiated deal swiss burned supervision german observers return sale swiss new replace combat losses new fighters delivered new planes manufacturing defects poor production caused allied bombings complaints germans half million swiss purchase price attacks swiss cities swiss cities railway lines repeatedly bombed allied aircraft war beginning minor attacks royal_air_force geneva possibly occurred april 14th killing injuring damaging large portion city reaction comments swiss foreign minister incident apparently deliberate attack american undermined ill advised statements air_force commanders london blamed weather size accuracy attack depth investigation showed weather france particularly winds nearly doubled ground speed bombers fact cause wing mistake target swiss incidents escalated resulting separate attacks swiss territory february day president special assistant went lay graves killed year earlier simultaneous attacks march dropped tons high explosives tons swiss air defenses incapable large formations aircraft intercept occasion attack small groups aircraft crippled battle damage seeking asylum resentment allied considerable causes bombing attacks bad weather faulty equipment incompetence excess pilot zeal planning lack intent suspicions swiss embarrassment united_states considerable pattern violation diplomatic apology new violation ensued war grew scope allied tactical forces neared germany matter debate bombings occurred accident strategic air forces standing order requiring visual identification bombing target miles swiss frontier members allies wanted punish switzerland economic industrial cooperation nazi_germany particular switzerland permitted train transportation territory carrying germany italy readily visible air allied pilots incidents drew close delegation appointed chief staff met swiss geneva march swiss violation demanded americans advised area requiring positive target identification henceforth expanded miles swiss borders targets miles attacked clear weather personal authorization american commander general hand picked crews tactical air forbidden attack target miles swiss border restrictions provided germans significant protection air attack large southern germany final months war effective ending violations seriously allied prosecution war cold war world war switzerland struggled buying building modern combat aircraft fourteen acquired germans including interned proved increasingly difficult maintain removed service variants purchased earlier continued swiss acquired nearly aircraft interned violating sovereignty unsuitable swiss operations swiss able purchase surplus united_states aircraft types followed including vampires purchased acquired replaced remained operational decade vampires showed remarkable longevity service vampires years remarkably acquisitions air force world operate jet aircraft line squadrons swiss government experimented development production jet fighters satisfied relatively simple aircraft require extensive training flown militia pilots aircraft developed accordance doctrine close air support ground operations main task based experiences world war desired aircraft capable neutrality protection raid type operations result projects inherent self contradictions hoping competition lead development effective simple ground attack aircraft government asked aircraft factory develop jet propelled fighters world renowned laboratory projects ended result hunter purchased instead introduced service models plagued onset inefficient engines capable short distance required swiss meters meters wind tunnel engine tests maiden flight federal councillor cancelled project leading resentment government engineers project continued eventually aircraft came production wings later development successful semi swept wing jet similar engines mounted internally wings fold improve slow speeds maximum designed remarkable velocity aircraft early 1950s single engine straight wing aircraft contract production aircraft awarded second crash pre production model order canceled aircraft met requirements attack fighter capable carrying heavy loads crash widely considered pretext swiss parliament reverse addition middle influenced nato concepts swiss doctrine air power close air support counter air operations strategic concepts governing swiss defense doctrine shifted dynamic mobile defense included execution air missions swiss border possibility carrying nuclear weapons suitable time tested swiss industry developed didn introduce service anti aircraft tank missile mobile ground air defence system based swiss wheeled equipped missile bought affair acquisition hunter solved swiss dilemma needing support ground forces deploy air air capability hunter provide counter air defense battlefield escort ground support fighters capable defending swiss swiss parliament voted french purpose surface air missiles british swiss acquired single testing preface production license strengthened wings airframe differ radar replaced system provide compatibility falcon air air missile intended operated ground attack reconnaissance aircraft wing pods photographic mission production developed scandal air_force staff wanted acquire best available aircraft market issued performance specifications concept mobile defense replaced static defense strategy world war doctrine new doctrine required greater numbers long range aircraft tanks order combat soviet troops arrived near swiss border committee aircraft consisted military officers engineer employed army originally proposed employed multi role capacity parliament authorized approximately million swiss build license soon crushed massive budget government asked additional million cost result fitting electronics french platform installing moving aircraft inside cranes structural reinforcements jet assisted extras improve shelf wish boosted possibility swiss acquire aircraft delivered nuclear weapons france producing major reason rising costs need develop separate variant photo reconnaissance mission pods caused great performance penalty differences reconnaissance version designated resulted fighters reconnaissance aircraft actually built allocated reconnaissance squadron training group rest fighter squadrons found small number insufficient provide multi role capacity deemed essential new doctrine went service lack financial oversight apparent ease federal councillor paul chief general staff chose time world fastest jet fighter led time swiss history formation parliamentary fact finding commission result parliamentary oversight military improved military given organizational professional structures avoid budget air_force officer retire retired voluntarily end followed stepped later cold war history option nuclear weapons discarded likelihood operations swiss border severely restricted decided generation aircraft acquired close air support resurrection discussed swiss press continued theoretical development aircraft expense final variant equipped engine choice narrowed milan joint swiss french prototype variant iii strong advocates affair milan project failed lack orders recommendation purchase cancelled air_force instead purchased additional surplus improve ground attack capability small number reserved reconnaissance roles time swiss aviation industry attempt swiss fighter jet success remained unfinished project end 1970s saw introduction tiger won competition phantom passed contest flight evaluation ordered aircraft delivered follow order brought totals single seat seat deployed squadrons headquartered initially tigers responsible air sovereignty feet took ground attack mission phased fleet nearing years operational service began major upgrade program improve capabilities aircraft retro fitted manufactured air improve stability landing speeds new redesignated lengthy nature swiss aircraft process reinforced resulted simultaneous acquisition new fighter eventually replace swiss considered fighters choosing douglas general dynamics fighting falcon fly evaluation held competition chose october virtually shelf models nearly identical operated stronger frames anticipated year service life competition reopened allow european fighter june choice political struggle purchase approved referendum began meantime soviet_union dissolved dissolution cold war ended overseas training small contingent deployed sweden training air ground delivery ordnance intermittently annual training abroad begin use swiss air space combat training increasingly impractical performance jets increased created environmental restrictions swiss modified traditional stance neutrality seek facilities particularly members meet training needs annual training exercise begun january conducted air weapons training installation air base time facility outside united_states swiss tigers year conducted air combat maneuvering training instrumentation range following fifth exercise demands nato air forces facility resulted permission usage withdrawn exercise set june cancelled began new training program united_kingdom called newly built range operated provided facility conduct realistic combat training aircraft began annual exercises november developments changes doctrine end cold war probability ground invasion switzerland ended substantially changing swiss military doctrine resulting reduction budget size supporting program air_force retained basic structure organization totally independent service called january time inception counter air role ground support mission ended defense domestic highest priority primary task addition air_force tasked gathering intelligence air reconnaissance air transport support ground troops practical matter marginal missions strongly influenced capability combat aircraft operate daylight anti aircraft artillery obsolete florida radar system reached limits operational effectiveness retirement ended ground support capability cut defence budget meant plans second purchase supporting air ground weapons reason multi capable selected canceled leaving strictly air air role immediately air_force reduced fixed wing aircraft bases closed reforms continued pattern reduction bases closed jets relocated later planned closing helicopter base placed closure list left combat bases main helicopter base training base maintained war time theoretical plan highways near emergency retained pilots trained use mid-1980s new jets political struggles popular initiative sought stop chosen replace defeated majority versions twin seat model single seat built united_states flight tested delivered december respectively thirty production kits shipped switzerland assembly service january final aircraft delivered december crashed leaving assigned squadrons seven instructor pilots trained florida united_states_navy provided instructors exchange train pilots acquired provide interim solution jet training requirements retired sold finland ended service second half 1990s fighter retired final reconnaissance jet december hunters retired air force effort provide tigers air ground capability proved expensive plans replace fleet fourth generation jet fighter begun dozen leased austria years awaited delivery new swiss maintenance fleet considered low hours purchased replace aging aircraft effectively reduced inventory half proposals replace tigers advanced variant came consideration end chosen candidate evaluation tested choice end buy don build rent financing struggles possibility popular initiative uncertain acquired overseas training continued annual exercises discontinued favor multi nation training exercise held annually swiss contingents began attending training night operations called began norway continued annually training abroad nato nations reflected changing realities neutrality reflected official code favor code invented terms french german italian accurate voice communications high stress flight operations nato terms entirely english largely developed united_states_air_force faced continuing challenges left wing environmental existence policy operations february initiative ban training flights jet aircraft tourist areas switzerland virtually entire nation reduce impact noise pollution publicly debated delivery referendum termed ineffective defeated vote aircraft service previous aircraft closed air_force bases san
History of the Swiss Air Force