{"id":53154,"date":"2018-03-30T17:51:56","date_gmt":"2018-03-30T17:51:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/03\/30\/yes-switzerland-would-enjoy-a-jet-that-can-land-in-its-secret-base\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T14:10:39","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T14:10:39","slug":"yes-switzerland-would-enjoy-a-jet-that-can-land-in-its-secret-base","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2018\/03\/30\/yes-switzerland-would-enjoy-a-jet-that-can-land-in-its-secret-base\/","title":{"rendered":"Yes, Switzerland would enjoy a jet that can land in its secret base"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

PAYERNE AIR BASE, Switzerland \u2015 Somewhere in Switzerland inside a mountain, there is a secret air base in which a Swiss Air Force pilot fires up the engines of an F\/A-18 Hornet, the camouflaged doors slide open and the fighter jet takes off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilot flies an air patrol, returns and lands just outside the base. A crane rotates the F\/A-18 and places the fighter on a platform, which brings the plane back into military silence under the mountain. The stealthy doors close until the next flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swiss soldiers have occasionally referred to the base on social media and have been asked to delete their mention. As a senior Swiss officer told Defense News on March 27, the name and location of the base are classified information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That air base may evoke a James Bond film, but the Swiss Armed Forces operate the site as part of its national air defense, which is entering a characteristically large modernization drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asked whether the upcoming Swiss tender<\/a> as part of the drive sets a key requirement for a fighter<\/a> to be able to enter that base, the officer said it was not essential but would be nice to have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Air Force will arm the new fighter with air-to-air missiles, as the main mission is to secure Swiss airspace. There is merely \u201cdiscussion\u201d of arming the jet with air-to-ground missiles, as that capability is politically sensitive in Switzerland and would add to the cost of acquisition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 30-strong fleet of F\/A-18s is armed with AMRAAM and AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles and a cannon. The Air Force plans to fly the F\/A-18 until 2030 and operate the new aircraft alongside its existing fleet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Air Force flies the F-5 Tiger as the aggressor during exercises with the F\/A-18, and the single-engine jet also makes up the Patrouille Swiss air display team. The 26-strong fleet of F-5s no longer flies air patrol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Air Force has started to consider a new training course tied to acquiring the new fighter, said Col. Simone Rossi, who runs the training center at the air base here. Only full-time professional pilots fly the F\/A-18 \u2014 not part-time reservists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The latter are called up for national service and are then recalled each year to serve three weeks as reservists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are some 3,000 professional personnel, while the rest of the approximately 100,000-strong Armed Forces are made up of conscripts and part-time reservists. Swiss forces effectively operate a citizen-soldier army, where each reservist must keep a Sieg automatic rifle and empty magazine clips at home, along with battledress, bulletproof vest, two pairs of boots and a gas mask. The reservists are expected to regularly attend shooting practice at the local gun clubs.<\/p>\n\n\n\t