In the federal treaty of 1815, the Tagsatzung prescribed cantonal troops to put a contingent of 2% of the population of each canton at the federation's disposition, amounting to a force of some 33,000 men.
The SHQSU is not the same as the more publicized Swisscoy, which is the Swiss Army Mission to Kosovo. In its first military deployment since 1815, Switzerland deployed 31 soldiers to Afghanistan in 2003, and two Swiss officers had worked with German troops.
The cantonal armies were converted into the federal army (Bundesheer) with the constitution of 1848.
Paragraph 18 declared the "obligation" of every Swiss citizen to serve in the federal army if conscripted (Wehrpflicht), setting its size at 3% of the population plus a reserve of one and one half that number, amounting to a total force of some 80,000. The first complete mobilization, under the command of Hans Herzog, was triggered by the Franco-Prussian War in 1871.
In 1875, the army was called in to crush a strike of workers at the Gotthard tunnel.
Wille was subsequently put in command of the second complete mobilization in 1914, and Switzerland escaped invasion in the course of World War I.
Wille also ordered the suppression of the 1918 general strike (Landesstreik) with military force.
In both the 1918 and the 1932 incidents, the troops deployed were consciously selected from rural regions such as the Berner Oberland, fanning the enmity between the traditionally conservative rural population and the urban working class.
In 1932, the army was called to suppress an anti-fascist demonstration in Geneva.
In both the 1918 and the 1932 incidents, the troops deployed were consciously selected from rural regions such as the Berner Oberland, fanning the enmity between the traditionally conservative rural population and the urban working class.
Nine units were commissioned between 1941 and 1944.
Nine units were commissioned between 1941 and 1944.
The Patrouille des Glaciers race, created to test the abilities of soldiers, was created during the war. In the 1960s and 1970s, the armed forces were organised according to the "Armee 61" structure.
In the 1960s they began constructing radiation and blast shelters that could survive one to three bars of pressure from a nuclear explosion.
The Patrouille des Glaciers race, created to test the abilities of soldiers, was created during the war. In the 1960s and 1970s, the armed forces were organised according to the "Armee 61" structure.
Horse mounted cavalry (specifically dragoons) were retained for combat roles until 1973, and were the last non-ceremonial horse cavalry in Europe, as were bicycle infantry battalions until 2001. Since 1989, there have been several attempts to curb military activity or even abolish the armed forces altogether.
They include underground air bases that are adjacent to normal runways; the aircraft, crew and supporting material are housed in the caverns. However, a significant part of these fortifications was dismantled between the 1980s and during the "Army 95" reformation.
Horse mounted cavalry (specifically dragoons) were retained for combat roles until 1973, and were the last non-ceremonial horse cavalry in Europe, as were bicycle infantry battalions until 2001. Since 1989, there have been several attempts to curb military activity or even abolish the armed forces altogether.
A notable referendum on the subject was held on 26 November 1989 and, although defeated, did see a significant percentage of the voters in favour of such an initiative.
However, a similar referendum, called for before, but held shortly after the 11 September attacks in 2001 in the US, was defeated by over 77% of voters. In 1989, the status of the army as a national icon was shaken by a popular initiative aiming at its complete dissolution (see: Group for a Switzerland without an Army) receiving 35.6% support.
The fortification on the left side of the Rhône at Saint-Maurice is no longer used by the army since the beginning of the 1990s.
This triggered a series of reforms and, in 1995, the number of troops was reduced to 400,000 ("Armee 95").
However, over the years, the Swiss Armed Forces have been part of several peacekeeping missions around the world. From 1996 to 2001, the Swiss Armed Forces were present in Bosnia and Herzegovina with headquarters in Sarajevo.
Article 58.1 of the 1999 constitution repeats that the army is "in principle" organized as a militia, implicitly allowing a small number of professional soldiers.
Furthermore, Switzerland's policy of neutrality means that they are unlikely to be deployed elsewhere (except for training exercises). == Intelligence gathering == The Swiss military department maintains the Onyx intelligence gathering system, similar to but much smaller than the international Echelon system. The Onyx system was launched in 2000 in order to monitor both civil and military communications, such as telephone, fax or Internet traffic carried by satellite.
Horse mounted cavalry (specifically dragoons) were retained for combat roles until 1973, and were the last non-ceremonial horse cavalry in Europe, as were bicycle infantry battalions until 2001. Since 1989, there have been several attempts to curb military activity or even abolish the armed forces altogether.
However, a similar referendum, called for before, but held shortly after the 11 September attacks in 2001 in the US, was defeated by over 77% of voters. In 1989, the status of the army as a national icon was shaken by a popular initiative aiming at its complete dissolution (see: Group for a Switzerland without an Army) receiving 35.6% support.
A second initiative aimed at the army's dissolution in late 2001 received a mere 21.9% support.
However, over the years, the Swiss Armed Forces have been part of several peacekeeping missions around the world. From 1996 to 2001, the Swiss Armed Forces were present in Bosnia and Herzegovina with headquarters in Sarajevo.
Annually, approximately 20,000 persons are trained in basic training for 18 weeks (23 weeks for special forces). The reform "Army XXI" replaced the previous model "Army 95" and was adopted by popular vote in 2003, reducing manpower from 400,000 to about 200,000 personnel, with 120,000 receiving periodic military training and 80,000 reservists who have completed their total military training requirements.
The SHQSU is not the same as the more publicized Swisscoy, which is the Swiss Army Mission to Kosovo. In its first military deployment since 1815, Switzerland deployed 31 soldiers to Afghanistan in 2003, and two Swiss officers had worked with German troops.
This structure was superseded by the "Armee 95" structure and thereafter the "Armee XXI" structure. Since the Army XXI reform in 2004, the basic structure of the Army has been reorganised in the following units: infantry brigades (2 and 5); mountain infantry brigades (9 and 12); armoured brigades (1 and 11).
It was completed in late 2005 and currently consists of three interception sites, all based in Switzerland.
In a way similar to Echelon, Onyx uses lists of keywords to filter the intercepted content for information of interest. On 8 January 2006 the Swiss newspaper Sonntagsblick (Sunday edition of the Blick newspaper) published a secret report produced by the Swiss government using data intercepted by Onyx.
The Swiss government did not officially confirm the existence of the report, but started a judiciary procedure for leakage of secret documents against the newspaper on 9 January 2006. == Lakes flotilla == The maritime branch of the Army maintains a flotilla of military patrol boats to secure several sizeable lakes that span Switzerland's borders.
Switzerland is part of the NATO Partnership for Peace programme. The regulations of the Swiss militia system stipulate that the soldiers keep their own personal equipment, including all personally assigned weapons, at home (until 2007 this also included ammunition), or in an armoury.
In October 2008, the Swiss Hornet fleet reached the 50,000 flight hours milestone. In 2017, the Swiss Hornet fleet reached the 100,000 flight hours milestone as well as 20 years of flight operations. In peacetime the Swiss Air Force does not maintain 24/7 operational readiness status, owing to the limited budget and staff available.
Almost 20% of all conscripts were found unfit for military or civilian service in 2008; the rate is generally higher in urban cantons such as Zurich and Geneva than in the rural ones.
Swiss forces were withdrawn in February 2008. Switzerland is part of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC), which was created to monitor the armistice between North and South Korea.
Swiss citizens living abroad are generally exempted from conscription in time of peace while dual citizenship by itself does not grant such exemption. On 22 September 2013, a referendum was held that aimed to abolish conscription in Switzerland.
In October 2008, the Swiss Hornet fleet reached the 50,000 flight hours milestone. In 2017, the Swiss Hornet fleet reached the 100,000 flight hours milestone as well as 20 years of flight operations. In peacetime the Swiss Air Force does not maintain 24/7 operational readiness status, owing to the limited budget and staff available.
A further reform effective in 2018 heralded the reduction of forces to 100,000 members. ==History== The land component of the Swiss Armed Forces originated from the cantonal troops of the Old Swiss Confederacy, called upon in cases of external threats by the Tagsatzung or by the canton in distress.
Companies subsidize military training by continuing to pay their employees, who list their ranks and responsibilities on their résumés. == Structure since 2018 == In peacetime, the Swiss Armed Forces are led by the Chief of the Armed Forces (Chef der Armee), who reports to the head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport and to the Swiss Federal Council as a whole.
The Swiss Air Force is now working on extending the operational times, aiming to be maintaining readiness for two armed jet fighters round-the-clock by 2020.
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