Swiss Armed Forces

Markus Mäder, State Secretary for Security Policy, will represent the DDPS at the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada from 21 to 23 November.

Fifteen recruits completed training as First-Person View drone pilots, in order to be subsequently deployed with the troops in a field experiment. In this context, they used their skills to support the development of operational procedures for attack drones. The training in Thun and the following field experiment in Bure further developed the skills of the Swiss Armed Forces in the area of drones und took place within the context of the Taskforce Drones with the participation of the Swiss Armed Forces, the Federal Office for Defence Procurement armasuisse as well as with external partners.

The Federal Office for Defence Procurement armasuisse has decided to issue the award for minidrone defence systems. After a four-week evaluation test (field experiment) for detecting and defending against minidrones to protect military infrastructures at the Meiringen aerodrome, armasuisse awarded the Swiss supplier Securiton the contract to deliver several defence systems. The systems are designed as partially mobile and can thus also be used in subsidiary operations of the Swiss Armed Forces for civil authorities.

armasuisse and the manufacturer Elbit Systems Ltd have signed an addendum to the contract for the reconnaissance drone system 15 (ADS 15). Amongst other things, this also includes the services for the three functionalities not to be implemented.

The Federal Office for Defence Procurement armasuisse has decided to whom to award the contracts for multispectral camouflage systems (MSTS). This decision factored in the performance capability of the systems, their deployment integration as well as logistical and economic criteria. The systems will be procured from all of the three European suppliers on the shortlist – SSZ Camouflage AG from Switzerland, Saro GmbH from Germany and Saab Barracuda AB from Sweden.