Future of Patrouille Suisse
Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2022 8:29 am
https://www.bazonline.ch/wird-die-patro ... 3374493275
The Department of Defence is considering disbanding the Swiss aerobatic squadron or continuing it with other aircraft.
For many fans, they are something like the last heroes of Switzerland: the pilots of the Swiss aerobatic squadron Patrouille Suisse. Where the six red-painted F-5 Tigers conjure up their figures in the sky, ten thousand spectators quickly flock together. The fan base is large. How long this will be the case, however, is open today.
Defence Minister Viola Amherd (Die Mitte) spoke to the media yesterday about the future of Patrouille Suisse. On the sidelines of her presentation of the 2022 Army Message, she said flight operations of the F-5 Tiger fleet will cease in 2025. There is still time until then to consider "whether and how the Swiss aerobatic squadron should continue".
It is already clear today that the F-35, which is much more expensive than the Tigers, which the Federal Council wants to procure, would not be an option as a new Patrouille Suisse jet. In the army message that Amherd presented yesterday, it is said that the operation of three different jets (Tiger, F/A-18 and the F-35s, which are being added piece by piece) in a transitional phase is too expensive. Continued operation of today's Patrouille Suisse jets beyond 2025 would also require investments.
Because with the decommissioning of the Tiger, the aerobatic squadron loses its jets, the DDPS is examining "whether the Patrouille Suisse will then be dissolved or continued with other aircraft".
The Swiss Air Force still has 25 tigers, 6 of which are painted red for the Patrouille Suisse. In the 1980s and 1990s, a total of 110 F-5 Tigers provided protection for airspace. With the end of use of the now 40-year-old jets, the army will be able to save costs of CHF 44 million annually from 2025 onwards. The annual expenditure for Patrouille Suisse consists of CHF 8 million for personnel, CHF 30 million for aircraft maintenance and CHF 6 million for fuel.
Since 2013, the abolition of the Patrouille Suisse was an issue. At that time, Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer (SVP) was Minister of Defence. On the Federal Council's shopping list at the time was the Swedish fighter jet Gripen. In the Security Policy Commission of the National Council, Maurer and the then head of the army, André Blattmann, said at the beginning of 2013 that the Patrouille Suisse would be abolished in 2016. "In order to make folklore, we will no longer have airplanes in the future," Maurer said. He thus triggered a public and in bourgeois circles also political storm of indignation. The abolition plans were then withdrawn.
Today it is informally heard from the DDPS that they do not want to step into the same fat bowl as they did then. They are looking for solutions on how the popular Patrouille Suisse can continue to operate in a new form.