Military of Switzerland
| Military of Switzerland | |
|---|---|
| Military manpower | |
| Military age | 20 years of age |
| Availability | males age 15-49: 1,855,808 (2000 est.) |
| Fit for military service | males age 15-49: 1,579,921 (2000 est.) |
| Reaching military age annually | males: 42,169 (2000 est.) |
| Military expenditures | |
| Dollar figure | $3.1 billion (FY98) |
| Percent of GDP | 1.2% (FY98) |
| Table of contents |
|
2 Military branches 3 Defence ministers 4 Politics 5 External links |
Military of Switzerland
On May 18, 2003, Swiss voters approved the military reform project "Army XXI" that will drastically reduce the size of the Swiss Army. Starting in January 2004, the current 524,000-strong militia will be pared down to 220,000 conscripts, including 80,000 reservists. The defense budget of currently SFr 4.3 billion ($3.1 billion) will be trimmed by SFr 300 million and some 2,000 jobs are expected to be shed between 2004 and 2011. The mandatory time of service will be curtailed from 300 to 260 days. All able-bodied Swiss males aged between 20 and 30 must serve. Thereafter, most personnel are assigned to civil protection duties until the age of 37.A new category of soldiers called "single-term conscripts" will discharge the total time of service of about 300 days of active duty in one go. Recruiting is on a voluntary basis and should not exceed 20% of a year's draft. The armed forces have a small nucleus of about 3,600 professional staff, half of whom are either instructors or staff officers, with the remainder mostly being fortification guards. The army has virtually no full-time active combat units but is capable of full mobilization within 72 hours. Women may volunteer to serve in the armed forces and may now join all units, including combat troops. About 2,000 women already serve in the army but, so far, have not been allowed to use weapons for purposes other than self-defense.
The armed forces are organized in four army corps and an air force and are equipped with modern, sophisticated, and well-maintained gear. In 1993, the Swiss Government ordered 34 FA-18s from the United States.
Military branches
Defence ministers
Member of the Federal Council heading the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports, (formerly "Federal Military Department"):- Rudolf Gnägi (1968, 1969-1978)
- Georges-André Chevallaz (1980-1983)
- Jean-Pascal Delamuraz (1984-1986)
- Arnold Koller (1987-1989)
- Kaspar Villiger (1989-1995)
- Adolf Ogi (1996-2000)
- Samuel
Schmid (2001-present)
Politics
There is an organized movement in Switzerland (Gruppe Schweiz ohne Armee; GSoA) aiming at the abolishion of the military. The Swiss have voted on such a referendum several times but so far voted in favour of keeping the army.
External links
- Federal
Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports - Official site