Swiss Armed Forces
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.
| Swiss Armed Forces | |
|---|---|
| Service branches |
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| Website | www www |
| Leadership | |
| Commander-in-chief | Vacant in peacetime |
| DDPS Minister | 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 males, age 18–49, 930,000 females, age 18–49 |
| Reaching military age annually | 27,000 males, 23,000 females |
| Active personnel | 101,584 |
| Reserve personnel | 49,715 |
| Expenditures | |
| Budget | CHF 5.12 billion (~US$5.27 billion, 2020) |
| Percent of GDP | 0.68% (2018) |
| Industry | |
| Domestic suppliers | |
| Related articles | |
| Ranks | Military ranks of Switzerland |
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. 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. 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. A further reform effective in 2018 heralded the reduction of forces to 100,000 members.