Swiss Armed Forces

E90399

The Swiss Armed Forces are Switzerland’s military organization responsible for national defense, operating primarily as a militia system with a small professional core and including branches such as the army and air force.


Statements (61)

Predicate Object
instanceOf armed forces
military organization
abbreviation SAF
Swiss Army
ageOfConscription around 18 years
allowsCivilianService yes
allowsConscientiousObjection yes
commanderTitle Chief of the Armed Forces
Federal Councillor, head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport
component Command Support Base
surface form: "Command Support organization"

Logistics organization
Special Forces Command
Swiss Air Force
Swiss Army
Territorial divisions
conscription yes
country Switzerland
governingBody Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport
hasCharacteristic focus on territorial defense rather than power projection
majority of personnel are conscripts and reservists
no standing army in the traditional sense
hasEmblem white cross on red background
hasHeadquartersLocation Bern
Switzerland
hasMilitaryHistory Cold War national defense posture
British distant blockade of Germany
surface form: "World War I neutrality enforcement"

World War II general mobilization
hasMotto Für Sicherheit und Freiheit
hasProfessionalCore yes
includesReservists yes
languageUsed French
German
Italian
Romansh language
surface form: "Romansh"
legalBasis Federal Constitution of the Swiss Confederation
surface form: "Swiss Federal Constitution"

Swiss Military Act
surface form: "Swiss military law"
militaryBranch air force
army
militaryDoctrine armed neutrality
nativeName Armada svizra
Swiss Armed Forces
surface form: "Armée suisse"

Swiss Armed Forces
surface form: "Esercito svizzero"

Swiss Armed Forces
surface form: "Schweizer Armee"
notMemberOf European Union
NATO
participatesIn Partnership for Peace countries
surface form: "Partnership for Peace activities"

international peacekeeping missions
partOf Confoederatio Helvetica (Swiss Confederation)
surface form: "Swiss Confederation"
primaryRole national defense
support to civil authorities in emergencies
territorial integrity protection
serviceSystem militia system
usesAircraft Airbus H225
surface form: "AS332 Super Puma"

AS532 Cougar
Eurocopter EC635
F-5 Freedom Fighter
surface form: "F-5 Tiger II"

F/A-18 Hornet
Pilatus PC-21
Pilatus PC-7
usesWeapon Sturmgewehr 57
Sturmgewehr 90

Referenced by (14)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Sonderbund War conflictBetween Swiss Armed Forces
this entity surface form: "Swiss federal forces"
Swiss Army hasBranch Swiss Armed Forces
this entity surface form: "Swiss Army Land Forces"
Swiss Armed Forces nativeName Swiss Armed Forces
this entity surface form: "Schweizer Armee"
Swiss Armed Forces nativeName Swiss Armed Forces
this entity surface form: "Armée suisse"
Swiss Armed Forces nativeName Swiss Armed Forces
this entity surface form: "Esercito svizzero"
Swiss Army nativeName Swiss Armed Forces
this entity surface form: "Schweizer Armee"
Swiss Army nativeName Swiss Armed Forces
this entity surface form: "Armée suisse"
Swiss Army nativeName Swiss Armed Forces
this entity surface form: "Esercito svizzero"
Swiss Army officialName Swiss Armed Forces
Swiss Air Force partOf Swiss Armed Forces
Swiss Navy partOf Swiss Armed Forces
Swiss roundel usedBy Swiss Armed Forces