Defense
The defense is based on general military duty with an
initial service of 18–21 weeks and subsequent 6–7 band
exercises in 3 weeks, with a total of at least 9 months of
training. The international cadre is, by international
standards, very small and comprises 4,300 people. The entire
war organization is based on mobilization, (2006) comprises
a total of 210,000 men and is organized in a mobilization
defense with mobile brigades and territorial units as well
as 90 fighter aircraft. The material is modern and of
Western origin, e.g. tanks Leopard 2 and F-18 fighters
Hornet and F-5. The civil defense is well developed and
comprises 105,000 men. Defense costs decreased in 1985–2006
from 2.1 to 1.0% of GDP. Switzerland has participated in UN
peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia/
Eritrea, Georgia, Korea. To see related acronyms about this country, please check ABBREVIATIONFINDER where you can see that SUI stands for Switzerland.
Switzerland's international relations
Switzerland joined the UN from 2002. Switzerland is a
member of most of the UN's special organizations, including
The World Bank, by the way Council of Europe, EFTA (but not
EEA), Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE),
World Trade Organization and OECD.
Switzerland is represented in Norway at its embassy in
Oslo, while Norway is represented in Switzerland at its
embassy in Bern as well as consulates in Zurich and Geneva.
Switzerland's defense
Switzerland has a general conscription; 18 to 23 weeks of
recruiting school, followed by five rehearsal exercises,
each of 3 weeks duration. In 1996, Switzerland joined NATO's
Partnership for Peace program. Army and Air Force are not
separate arms branches, but components of a common force.
The total force for the country's armed forces is 21,450
active personnel, of which 18,500 conscripts (2018, IISS).
Countries The component of heavier material 134 tanks of
a Leopard 2, 186 armored cars of the type CV90 and 914
armored personnel.
Luftkomponten has 54 fighters of a F-5 Tiger II, 31
fighter aircraft of type F/A-18 Hornet, 22 transport, 44
trainers, 45 helicopters and 16 moderately heavy drones
(four systems).
International operations
In 2018, Switzerland participated in the NATO operation
in Kosovo (KFOR) with 235 personnel, and in the EU operation
in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR) with 21 personnel. |
