Switzerland Upgrades Military Operations With Dedicated Drone Battalion and Training Hub

The Swiss armed forces are expanding the use of robotics and unmanned aerial vehicles to bolster national defense, with the Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) creating a new drone battalion and a dedicated recruit training center.

Unmanned aerial systems are taking on an increasingly prominent role in modern military operations. The investment follows a growing number of unauthorized drone flights over Swiss military installations and critical infrastructure sites, according to Swissinfo on August 27.

Defense Minister Martin Pfister, Chief of the Armed Forces Benedict Roos, and armasuisse Director Urs Loher announced the launch of a new center of excellence for unmanned systems.

The hub will oversee the development, testing, and integration of emerging technologies into military units, operating in close partnership with academic and industrial sectors.

The primary objective of the center is to align military operational requirements with technical expertise from armasuisse and insights from universities and private industry.

According to officials, the goal is to "jointly develop new solutions, test them, and rapidly make them available to the army."

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The Swiss military plans to have a fully operational drone battalion dedicated to reconnaissance and defense capabilities by 2028. To train military personnel, a specialized recruit school will be established alongside updates to relevant military regulations and legal frameworks.

The Swiss federal government had previously announced a comprehensive ban on the purchase and import of Russian liquefied natural gas, alongside aligned financial and trade restrictions mirroring the EU’s 19th sanctions package.

Those earlier measures targeted cryptocurrency services, advanced technologies, and closed evasion loopholes through Belarus.

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