Switzerland

Capital:Bern

Located in the mountainous Alps region.

Considered a neutral country

Fiercely independent nation.

Excellent place of international banking for decades because of the nations neutrality.

Population of around 6 million people.

Most federal institutions are located in Bern, however, Swiss law does not designate a formal capital.

The Rhine river originates in Switzerland.

Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland, while Geneva is the second largest city.

Luzern (Lucerne)

134,000 active duty personnel with 77,000 reserve

360,000 armed personnel can be mobilized within 24 hours.

Uses the so called “Porcupine” strategy which focuses on deterrence rather than fighting.

Compulsory military service. Soldiers keep their weapons and equipment at home.

Switzerland hasn't been at war in about 500 years.

Around 650,000 armed citizens keep assault rifles locked up at home.

After the Cold War, there was a reduction in Swiss military forces.

Railroad and highway bridges may already be wired with explosives.

Tunnels and key bridges are built with tank traps.

Around 26,000 permanent fortifications were built in the Alps. From small bunkers to large fortifications. Many are aging and slowly deteriorating.

Some of the larger fortifications may be connected by tunnels. Some of the tunnels have small electric rail lines. Some of the tunnels may have a machine gun port and steel doors at certain points to block entry. Some of the larger forts have been turned into tourist attractions with guided tours, museums, hotels and restaurants.
Many old fortifications have been demolished.

Some of the larger fortifications have underground mortars, power generators, hospitals, barracks, ammunition storage facilities, dinning facilities, command centers, communications rooms, latrines, a ventilation system, etc..

The Gottard Pass, Sargans, and Saint-Maurice areas all have fortifications built in them.

Strategic Simplon and Great St Bernard passes.

The Sonnenberg Tunnel doubles as a bomb shelter. This tunnel can shelter around 21,000 people and has 5 foot thick concrete doors, a water supply, electrical generators, air filters, a two week fuel supply, food rations, a radio station, and a small jail for twelve people.

Swiss citizens must have either a private residential bomb shelter or pay into public bomb shelters.

Rows of concrete anti-tank barriers or steel rails are positioned at strategic locations throughout the Swiss country side. The concrete tank obstacles are nicknamed “Toblerone Lines” by the Swiss because of their likeness to the delicious chocolate candy.

Many fortified concrete bunkers disguised as houses and barns.

Some fortresses built inside mountains.

Gun turrets camouflaged to look like hay stacks, small houses or sheds.

Gun turrets from old Centurion tanks were used in some bunkers.

Hidden underground mortars used at certain fortresses and fortified areas.

Cable cars are used to access some remote mountain fortifications.

Air Force

About 1,600 active duty personnel

Headquarters in Dubendorf during peacetime.

Underground airbases are positioned next to regular runways with the aircraft and crews housed in the caverns.

The Swiss Air Force practices take-offs, landings, and conducting operations on highways.

F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets (33)

F-5 Tiger II fighter jets (54)

PC-7 trainer aircraft (28)

PC-9 trainer aircraft (11)

PC-21 trainer aircraft (8)

PC-6 Turbo-Porter light transport aircraft (15)

Dassault Falcon 50 used for VIP transport (1)

Cessna Citation Excel (1)

PC-12 used for testing and transport (1)

DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft used for photomapping (1)

Beechcraft Super King Air used for photomapping (1)

SA316 Allouette III helicopters

AS5332M1 Super Puma helicopters (15)

AS532UL Cougar helicopters (12)

EC635 helicopters (18)

ADS-95 Ranger Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Saab Gripen fighter aircraft to replace F-5 aircraft?

Air Defense

Rapier surface-to-air missiles

FIM-92 shoulder fired surface-to-air missiles

Oerlikon 35mm anti-aircraft guns with twin auto cannons

Skyguard radar system used with 35mm cannons.

Switzerland is land locked and has no official navy, but does operate patrol boats in Lake Geneva, Lake Lucerne, Lake Lugano, Lake Maggiore, and Lake Constance.

Army

Panzer 87 tanks (Swiss modified Leopard 2A4 tanks)-224

APC-2000 (Variant of the CV9030 Infantry Fighting Vehicle)-186

APC 93 (Variant of the Piranha II 8x8 wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier)-515

MOWAG Piranha TOW (Piranha I with TOW anti-tank missiles) -120

M113 armored personnel carriers-580

MOWAG Eagle light armored vehicles-326+

Eagle 1 (Aufklarungsfahrzeug 93)

Eagle 2 (Aufklarungsfahrzeug 97)

MOWAG DURO all terrain tactical vehicles. Available in 4x4 and 6x6 wheeled versions.
MOWAG DURO II
MOWAG DURO III
MOWAG DURO GMTF or DURO IIIP- Armored 6x6 wheeled version of the DURO III armed with a remote weapon station.

M113 with 120mm mortars

M47 Dragon anti-tank missiles

Panzerfaust 3 shoulder fired anti-tank rocket launchers

PGM Hecate II 12.7mm anti-material rifles

OM-50 Nemesis- Swiss made .50 cal sniper/anti-material rifles.

Gewehraufeatz 97- 40mm under barrel grenade launchers for use with the SIG GL5040 rifle.

MG51 machine guns. Swiss made. Based on World War 2 German MG42. 7.5x55mm Swiss or 7.62x51mm.

MG710 machine guns. Swiss made 7.62x51mm machine gun.

FN Minimi light machine guns

Sako TRG-42- 8.6mm sniper rifles. Called the Scharfschutzen Gewehr 04 by the Swiss.

Sturmgewehr 90 (SIG SG 550)- Swiss made 5.56mm assault rifles

Sturmgewehr 57 (SIG SG 510)- Swiss made 7.5 or 7.62mm assault rifles

HK MP5 sub-machine guns

Steyr TMP (Brugger and Thomet MP9)

Tuma MTE 224 VA- Swiss made 5.56x23mm machine pistol.

Mountain Brigade

Grenadiers
Approximately 3,000 personnel

Fusiliers

Army Reconnaissance Detachment 10

ARD DDR DEE DRA

Artillery

M-109 155mm self propelled howitzers. Upgraded KAWEST version (224)

Swiss Intelligence

Federal Intelligence Service or Nachrichtendienst des Bundes (NDB)

Military Intelligence Service (Militärischer Nachrichtendienst). Part of the Swiss military.

Onyx intelligence gathering system. Operates in a similar fashion to the ECHELON system, but much smaller.

Swiss Companies

MOWAG
Pilatus

SIG (Schweizrische Industrie Gesellschaft. Now called Swiss Arms AG)

Swatch

Toblerone

Luzern
Nestle

Notable Swiss Banks:
UBS
Credit Suisse
Edmond de Rothschild
Julius Bar and Co

Swiss Fort Knox- A mountain base in the Swiss Alps where data and media from all over the world is kept secure. The base is supposedly able to withstand a nuclear blast. Private company. Interconnected Swiss Fort Knox I and Swiss Fort Knox II. Has its own security force.

Swiss military pictures