"Swiss Army" redirects here. For the multi-function pocket knife, see Swiss Army knife.
Swiss Armed Forces
Schweizer Armee(German)
Armée suisse(French)
Esercito svizzero(Italian)
Armada svizra(Romansh)
Service branches
Swiss Army
Swiss Air Force
Website
www.vtg.admin.ch www.armee.ch
Leadership
Commander-in-chief
Vacant in peacetime
Minister of Defence
Viola Amherd
Chief of the Armed Forces
Lt Gen Thomas Süssli
Personnel
Military age
19 years of age for male compulsory military service; 18 years of age for voluntary male and female military service;
Conscription
19–34 years of age (males only) 40 for subaltern officers, 50 for staff officers and higher
Available for military service
969,000[1] males, age 18–49, 930,000[1] females, age 18–49
Reaching military age annually
27,000[1] males, 23,000[1] females
Active personnel
147.178[2]
Expenditures
Budget
CHF 5.5 billion (~US$6.25 billion, 2024) [2]
Percent of GDP
0.68% (2018)[3]
Industry
Domestic suppliers
MOWAG
RUAG
SIG
Swiss Arms
Related articles
Ranks
Military ranks of Switzerland
The Swiss Armed Forces (German: Schweizer Armee, French: Armée suisse, Italian: Esercito svizzero, Romansh: Armada svizra; lit.'Swiss Army') operates on land and in the air, serving as the primary armed forces of Switzerland. Under the country's militia system, regular soldiers constitute a small part of the military and the rest are conscripts or volunteers aged 19 to 34 (in some cases up to 50). Because of Switzerland's long history of neutrality, the Swiss Armed Forces do not take part in conflicts in other countries, but do participate in international peacekeeping missions. Switzerland is part of the NATO Partnership for Peace programme.[4]
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[5]), or in an armoury. Compulsory military service applies to all male Swiss citizens, with women serving voluntarily. Males usually receive initial orders at the age of 18 for military conscription eligibility screening. About two-thirds of young Swiss men are found suitable for service, while alternative service exists for those found unsuitable.[6] 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.[7] A further reform effective in 2018 heralded the reduction of forces to 100,000 members.
^ abcd[1] Archived 19 December 2023 at the Wayback Machine "Office fédéral de la statistique" (in French). Retrieved 19 December 2023.
^ ab[2] Archived 20 January 2024 at the Wayback Machine "Eidgenössiches Departement für Verteidigung, Bevölkerungsschutz und Sport" (in German). Retrieved 27 February 2024.
^The World Factbook – Switzerland Central Intelligence Agency, Retrieved 23 May 2020
^Frontières entre police et armée Archived 18 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Cahier du GIPRI, n° 2, 2004
^SwissInfo Soldiers can keep guns at home but not ammo Archived 2 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine Swissinfo
^"Zwei Drittel der Rekruten diensttauglich". NZZ Online (in German). 11 March 2008. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
^Armeezahlen www.vbs.admin.ch Archived 9 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine (German)
and 26 Related for: Swiss Armed Forces information
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Logistics Organisation AFLO, ed. (2008). Insignia of the SwissArmedForces (PDF). Bern: SwissArmedForces. pp. 69–77. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14...
1948 [SR 748.0]; c. the ArmedForces Act of 3 February 1995 [SR 510.10]. The compound implies genitive plural, "flag of the Swiss"; other national flags...
must be unmarried Swiss Catholic males between 18 and 30 years of age who have completed basic training with the SwissArmedForces. The unit's security...
devices (10 kg TNT equivalent) This weapon system was developed for the SwissArmedForces, by GDELS Mowag and RUAG. Some of the main elements of its design...
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"vexillological recommendation" in the flag regulation used by the SwissArmedForces. Flags with a cross of larger relative widths than the prescribed...
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straight-pull bolt-action rifle. It was the standard issue rifle of the Swissarmedforces from 1933 until 1958 though examples remained in service into the...
the armedforces was held in Switzerland on 3 November 1907. Voters were asked whether they approved of the organisation of the federal armedforces. The...
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the manpower in the SwissArmedForces. On September 22, 2013, a referendum that aimed to abolish conscription was held in Switzerland. However, the referendum...
rifle is based on the earlier 5.56×45mm NATO SIG SG 540. In 1978, the Swissarmedforces formulated requirements for a successor to the Stgw 57 battle rifle...
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Global Information
Vacant in peacetime