Some of the visitor aircrafts where flying above western switzerland to reach Geneva, all of them too high/far away but anyway - I've got some of them ;)
Informations according the Putin/Biden Summit in Geneva in a few days
Bern, 11.06.2021 - The high-level summit between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin will take place at Villa La Grange in Geneva on Wednesday 16 June. Switzerland will also hold separate meetings with both the United States and Russia during the summit to discuss bilateral matters.
The Swiss–US bilateral meeting will take place on Tuesday, 15 June. The US delegation, led by President Joe Biden, also includes Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. The Swiss delegation, led by President Guy Parmelin, includes Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), and State Secretaries Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch (SECO) and Livia Leu (FDFA). Talks with the US will focus on a long-term strengthening of economic ties and close cooperation in education and research. Switzerland's good offices will also be on the agenda.
Swiss–US ties are historically close, with around one million US citizens having Swiss roots. Relations are nonetheless dynamic, with an emphasis on education, research and innovation. The US is Switzerland's second-largest trading partner for goods after the European Union. Meanwhile, in the US, Switzerland is the sixth-largest foreign direct investor and among the top three for R&D investment. Another important element of the relationship is Switzerland’s protecting power mandate for the US, under which Switzerland has represented US interests in Iran since 1980.
The Swiss–Russian bilateral talks will be held on Wednesday, 16 June. The Russian delegation, led by President Vladimir Putin, also includes Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The Swiss delegation is the same as for its US meeting. Russia, like the US, is among the priority countries of Swiss foreign policy. Bilateral relations are good and close in many areas. The stated aim of Switzerland's foreign policy strategy is to maintain a constructive and critical dialogue with Russia in order to further strengthen relations. Fostering the relationship is particularly important on account of Switzerland's protecting power mandates for Russia and Georgia. There is also great potential for economic exchange. In addition, the talks will address security issues in Europe and efforts to strengthen the multilateral level (Council of Europe and OSCE).
Strong media interest
The decision to hold the Biden–Putin summit in Geneva is a reflection of the trust that both the United States and Russia place in Switzerland. Switzerland enjoys long-standing good relations with both countries and maintains an open and transparent dialogue. Moreover, Switzerland firmly believes that constructive dialogue between the world’s major powers is necessary and expedient for solving intergovernmental and global challenges and therefore offers its good offices to this end. Interest in the summit is intense, with over 1,000 media representatives expected in Geneva. The federal government and the cantons are taking extensive security precautions.
The Federal Office of Police (fedpol) has conducted detailed risk assessments in advance of the event. Security measures have been determined on this basis and are being implemented under the lead of the Geneva Cantonal Police in coordination with fedpol and the security details of the foreign delegations, with the support of other cantonal police forces and the Swiss Armed Forces.
Various measures have also been taken to preserve the security of the airspace during the summit. The Air Force will step up its surveillance of the airspace and civilian air traffic will be restricted. The cantonal security arrangements will be supplemented by the Swiss Armed Forces, which will provide additional equipment and up to 1,000 military personnel on support duty. These measures, approved by the Federal Council at its meeting on 11 June, are intended to support and relieve the local authorities.
Address for enquiries
GS-EAER Communication, Tel. +41 58 462 20 07, info@gs-wbf.admin.ch
FDFA Communication, Tel. +41 58 462 31 53, kommunikation@eda.admin.ch
Repetition course of fo av 11 at Payerne Air Base will see supplemental nightflying activities on:
- Monday 17th 'till 2200h LT and
- Thuesday 25th 'till 2200h LT
Be aware that during repetition course some time restrictions are changed: Normal flight activity will be from 0700-1800h LT without the normal times of departures and landings. It's possible that also some jets will take off or landing in between 1200-1330h, normally a nogo in normal activity (except QRA).
Repetition course of fo av 11: Mai 10th - 28th, 2021
The Lufttransportdienst des Bundes (LTDB, the military transport agency for the government with BizJets and Helicopters) flew 463 hours for the Administration in 2020 (2019: 680):
Source and Links for more infos
Bern, 11.05.2021 - Following the crash of a drone of type Hermes 900 HFE intended for the Swiss Armed Forces over Israeli territory, the Israeli Ministry of Transport initiated an investigation to clarify the cause of the accident. The final report is now available. The manufacturer has repaired the damage and will cover all costs.
On 05 August 2020, a drone of the type Hermes 900 HFE intended for Switzerland crashed over Israeli territory. The cause of the crash was subsequently investigated under the direction of the Israeli Ministry of Transport. Clarification has been completed and the investigation results are available.
According to the accident report, the crash was due to the fact that the V tail unit became detached from the fuselage of the drone due to unexpectedly strong oscillations. The drone could thus no longer be controlled and crashed.
The Israeli manufacturing company Elbit Systems Ltd was able to eliminate the cause of this problem with regard to further production of the drone, without changing the drone’s design. The damage is to be borne entirely by Elbit Systems Ltd (see notice of 06/08/2020).
The crash occurred on a test flight of the drone. This resulted in total loss of the drone, but no damage to persons or third-party damage. This is a drone which was intended for the Swiss Armed Forces as part of the delivery scope of the ADS15 procurement.
Reliable detailed scheduling is still difficult. According to current information, the drones will be delivered from the second semester of 2022 to the summer of 2023. Approval of the radar for the sense-and-avoid system is planned for the end of 2024. The current delays are due, on the one hand, to the time and effort required for certification with the Civil Aviation Authority Israel (CAAI), which was underestimated by the supplier, and on the other hand, to the delayed development of the radar system for sense-and-avoid. In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted industry and has severely limited cooperation with the supplier due to travel restrictions and quarantine requirements. Until the approval of the sense-and-avoid radar, the Hermes 900 HFE drone will be deployed in uncontrolled airspace and with an escort aircraft by day.
Address for enquiries
Kaj-Gunnar Sievert
Head of Communications armasuisse
+41 58 464 62 47
Radon and other minor radioactive parts where found on former Swiss Air Force C-3605 target towing aircrafts, gone Out of Service / WFU in 1987. Actual users where informed and the Air Force is willing to pay for the correct disposal. There is no imminent danger if correctly handled.
Bern, 05.05.2021 - In den Triebwerken der historischen Militärflugzeuge des Typs C-3605 ist leicht radioaktives Material entdeckt worden. Eine Gefährdung für die Gesundheit besteht bei fachgerechtem Umgang nicht. Die Flugzeuge waren im Jahr 1987 von der Armee ausser Dienst gestellt und in Unkenntnis über diese bewilligungspflichtigen Komponenten versteigert worden. Alle bekannten Eigentümerinnen und Eigentümer oder Museen werden durch die Armee informiert und es wird ihnen angeboten, die Triebwerke auf Kosten des Bundes fachgerecht zu entsorgen.
Im Jahr 1987 wurde die gesamte damalige C-3605-Flugzeugflotte der Armee vom damaligen Bundesamt für Militärflugplätze ausser Dienst gestellt und versteigert. Die Flugzeuge standen seit 1968 im Einsatz. Die Ausserdienststellung erfolgte ohne Kenntnis davon, dass die Flugzeuge bewilligungspflichte Komponenten enthalten. Bei Routinekontrollen in einem Entsorgungsbetrieb wurde im Herbst 2020 leicht radioaktives Material entdeckt, das nachweislich aus einem Turbinentriebwerk des Typs T53-L-7A in einem C-3605-Flugzeug stammt. Daraufhin hat eine Arbeitsgruppe mit Spezialistinnen und Spezialisten der zuständigen Behörden beim Bund intensive Abklärungen vorgenommen.
Eine Gefahr für die Gesundheit aufgrund der Radioaktivität kann ausgeschlossen werden, sofern das Triebwerk nicht mechanisch bearbeitet wird. Die Abklärungen haben ergeben, dass der Hersteller das natürlich vorhandene, radioaktive Thorium genutzt hatte, um damit die Festigkeit der Triebwerksteile bei hohen Temperaturen zu gewährleisten. Darüber hinaus haben die Untersuchungen ergeben, dass im Cockpit dieser Flugzeuge Instrumente mit radioaktiver Leuchtfarbe eingebaut waren.
Die Triebwerke wie auch die Instrumente benötigen nach aktueller Strahlenschutzverordnung eine Umgangsbewilligung des Bundesamtes für Gesundheit BAG. Aus diesem Grund hat die Armee dieser Tage die heutigen Eigentümer und Halter über diese Erkenntnisse informiert und ihnen ihre Unterstützung im Umgang oder bei der Entsorgung der leicht radioaktiven Komponenten angeboten. Dabei können sie bis Ende Juni zwischen zwei Möglichkeiten wählen.
Wenn die Eigentümer die radioaktiven Teile nicht behalten wollen, wird das VBS die Triebwerke und Instrumente aus ehemaligen Beständen der Armee kostenlos entsorgen. Dies gilt für Eigentümer und Halter in der Schweiz wie auch im Ausland. Für die fachgerechte, individuelle Entsorgung eines Triebwerkes durch Privatpersonen ist mit Kosten von rund 250'000 Franken zu rechnen. Bei den Instrumenten im Cockpit sind es rund 300 Franken. Bei einer gesammelten Entsorgung durch das VBS kann von tieferen Kosten ausgegangen werden. Die Kosten für den Ausbau und den Transport gehen zu Lasten der Eigentümerschaft.
Falls hingegen die Eigentümer in der Schweiz die Triebwerke und die Instrumente weiterhin behalten wollen, was gefahrlos möglich ist, kann das VBS ihnen behilflich sein, eine Umgangsbewilligung beim BAG zu beantragen. Im Auftrag des BAG erfasst das VBS vor Ort alle radioaktiven Stoffe im Zusammenhang mit der C-3605 und fasst diese in einem Inventar zusammen. Gestützt darauf kann die Bewilligung beim BAG beantragt werden. Damit bleiben alle Teile im Besitz der heutigen Eigentümer und damit auch die Verantwortung und die Kosten im Fall einer späteren Entsorgung.
Die Eigentümer im Ausland können die Geräte ebenfalls behalten. Das VBS hat sie nun darauf aufmerksam gemacht, dass die rechtlichen Vorgaben in ihrem Land bezüglich Radioaktivität einzuhalten sind.
Bei der Versteigerung im Jahre 1987 waren insgesamt 28 Triebwerke veräussert worden. Sie befinden sich in 10 Flugzeugen in der Schweiz und in 10 Flugzeugen im Ausland (Deutschland, Frankreich, Grossbritannien, USA) bei privaten Haltern oder Museen. Bei zwei Flugzeugen im Ausland sind die Triebwerke des Typs T53 durch einen Kolbenmotor ersetzt worden. Bei 4 Triebwerken konnte der Besitzer oder Halter bis jetzt trotz intensiven Recherchen nicht ausfindig gemacht werden.
Adresse für Rückfragen
Stefan Hofer
Armeesprecher
+41 58 463 37 41
Payerne is generating the most flighthours of Swiss Air Force's F/A-18 Fleet and all the bigger maintenance had to be done on the competence center in Emmen. With 12 new working places there can be made up to four big controls per year in Payerne now:
Bern, 03.05.2021 - The construction work for the new RUAG Ltd site on the military airfield in Payerne is now complete. At the beginning of April, the newly formed team was able to take possession of the first F/A-18 and begin working on it. Construction began in May 2020 in cooperation with the Swiss Air Force, and all twelve of the newly created posts have been filled.
With the construction of a new site on the military airfield in Payerne, RUAG Ltd now provides on-site maintenance for the Swiss Air Force in western Switzerland. In addition to the six employees already stationed in Payerne, twelve new posts have been created in the region, all of which have been filled. At the beginning of April, the plane panel beaters, plane mechanics and NDT inspectors (non-destructive testing, a special materials testing process) were able to take possession of the first F/A-18 and begin working on it. Every year, RUAG Ltd can conduct up to four major inspections on the F/A-18 while also providing support for minor inspections.
The extension work in Payerne has made the successful cooperation between RUAG and the VBS, dating back more than 30 years, even closer and more intensive. RUAG employees work side by side and post by post with the members of the Swiss Air Force and are in a position to improve the efficiency and efficacy of the service provision to the Air Force by bringing plane maintenance and operations geographically closer together.
While the need for major inspections at the main site in Emmen will be reduced somewhat with the launch of operations in Payerne, the overall level of services provided to the Air Force will remain the same in the future. With some of the burden being removed with the development of the new site, the RUAG Ltd employees in Emmen can now focus more of their attention on the F/A-18 restructuring program.
With about 7,000 F/A-18 movements per year, Payerne Airfield is the main Air Force site for fighter planes and the headquarters of the Air Police service. The target set by the Federal Council of being able to ensure the Air Police intervention capability 24/7 and 365 days a year was implemented at the end of last year.
Address for enquiries
Kirsten Hammerich
Spokesperson RUAG AG
+41 58 467 05 11
Delphine Allemand
Spokesperson Armed Forces
+41 58 463 22 58
Another checkup of the QRA organisation had been successful completed in the evening of April 29th, 2021 out of Payerne.
Bern, 30.04.2021 - Seit Ende des Jahres 2020 stellt die Luftwaffe der Schweizer Armee den Luftpolizeidienst rund um die Uhr sicher. Gestern hat das Kommando Operationen, welchem die Luftwaffe unterstellt ist, diese Bereitschaft in Form eines Alarmstartes ab dem Flugplatz Payerne erfolgreich überprüft. Die definierten Zeit- und Zielvorgaben konnten allesamt erfüllt werden.
Die Luftwaffe der Schweizer Armee sorgt rund um die Uhr für die Sicherheit im Schweizer Luftraum. Diese Fähigkeit wurde ab 2016 in Teilschritten aufgebaut. Seit Januar dieses Jahres ist die Luftwaffe nun 24/7 operationell und kann bei Bedarf jederzeit innert kürzester Frist in der Luft Unterstützung leisten oder intervenieren.
Um diese Bereitschaft zu testen, hat die Armee gestern um 20.15 Uhr in Payerne eine unangekündigte Bereitschaftsüberprüfung in Form eines Alarmstarts (Quick Reaction Alert, QRA), durchgeführt. Der zeitliche Rahmen nach dem Ende des ordentlichen Flugbetriebs wurde bewusst gewählt, um damit die Mechanismen und die Abläufe ausserhalb der ordentlichen Betriebszeiten des Flugplatzes und somit die Pikettfunktion der verschiedenen Leistungserbringer überprüfen zu können. Nur unter diesen Umständen konnte die Bereitschaft unter realistischen Bedingungen getestet werden.
Nach dem ausgelösten Alarm mussten zwei auf dem Flugplatz Payerne stationierte F/A-18 Kampfflugzeuge innert dem Zielwert von 15 Minuten starten. Nebst den Piloten wurden in diesem Rahmen gleichzeitig die Einsatzfähigkeit des Personals der Einsatzzentrale Luftverteidigung und des Flugplatzes Payerne sowie die Pikettstellung der Partnerorganisationen wie der Logistikbasis (LBA) und der Führungsunterstützungsbasis der Armee (FUB) überprüft.
Nachdem die zwei Kampfflugzeuge innert der geforderten Frist die definierte Zone erreicht hatten, führten die Piloten ein internes Luftpolizeitraining durch. Die Ergebnisse werden nun ausgewertet und die Prozesse wo notwendig verbessert und angepasst.
Alarmübungen ausserhalb der ordentlichen Betriebszeiten werden Ausnahmen bleiben. Sie sind aber unabdingbar um Lehren zu ziehen und um sich als Organisation zu verbessern.
Adresse für Rückfragen
Daniel Reist
Armeesprecher
+41 58 464 48 08
The Swiss Super Puma Display Team will also begin the training week soon and will be present on some shows if #COVID19 will end. Stay safe and wear masks !
Today (schedule is one day postphoned) the display training has begun. All medium and low altitude trainings will be held in Payerne.
The show schedule for 2021:
Due training to land on a diversion airport, Swiss Air Force Hornets can be seen on approach exercises to the runways of Zurich airport on Thursday/Friday (March 04/05) and Tuesday (March 09th). There will be no actual landings of the Hornets. Those trainings are regularly at Zurich and Geneva airport.
The Office of the Armed Forces Attorney General / Military Justice has brought charges against a pilot of the Patrouille Suisse. This collided with a second Patrouille Suisse fighter jet during a training flight for the “Netherland Air Force Open Days 2016”. The pilot was able to save himself with the ejection seat and was only slightly injured, his aircraft was completely destroyed. A second aircraft was damaged.
The financial amount accounts for:
- F-5E Tiger II aircraft crashed: 800100.- CHF
- F-5E Tiger II aircraft damaged: 146282.80 CHF
- Secure crash site/Wreck recovery/reparations on a damaged greenhouse and rehabilitation of a pond: 1.25 Mio EUR, Swiss government paid 398484.95 CHF
The “Netherland Air Force Open Days 2016” took place at the Dutch air force base in Leeuwarden from June 7 to 11, 2016, and the Swiss Air Force's “Patrouille Suisse” aerobatic team also took part. On June 9, 2016, two “Northrop F-5E Tiger II” combat aircraft operated by Patrouille Suisse collided near the air force base during a training flight. As a result of the collision, one of the two pilots lost control of his aircraft and operated the ejection seat. He suffered minor injuries during the ejection seat launch and the subsequent landing in a greenhouse. The plane crashed in the immediate vicinity of the greenhouse by a pond and suffered a total write-off. The second aircraft was also damaged by the collision, but remained maneuverable. It could be landed safely by the pilot. The auditor of the military justice has now brought charges against the pilot of the crashed aircraft in a military court. The auditor accuses the pilot of violating his duty of care during the approach maneuver flown by him and thereby causing the collision. For this reason, he has become aware of the negligent misuse and waste of material (Art. 73 No. 1 Paragraph 1 MStG), the negligent disruption of public transport (Art. 169a No. 1 Paragraph 2 MStG) as well as the multiple negligent non-compliance of Service regulations (Art. 72 Abs. 2 MStG) made guilty. The auditor has accordingly brought charges against the pilot before the military tribunal 2.
The presumption of innocence continues to apply to the defendant.
Video of the crash (source: yt)
Video of landing damaged aircraft (source: yt)
Video departure of the repaired damaged aircraft (source: yt)
Black days for military aerobatic teams worldwide
The crash of the Patrouille Suisse (first since the founding in 1964!) was only one of a few these days back in 2016. On the same day a Su-27 Flanker of the Russian Knights crashed in Russia killing its pilot and one week after two incidents to the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels; on June 2nd a Thunderbirds F-16 crashed near Colorado Springs (Pilot ejected) and a few hours later on the same day Blue Angels Opposing Solo crashed during a display training in Tennessee killing its pilot.
Notes for media professionals: On March 28, 2019, the Kommunikation Militärjustiz published extensive media raw material on the results of the preliminary evidence taken by the military investigating magistrate on the aircraft accident on June 9, 2016.
This text reflects the status of the investigations from March 2019. It includes the results of the preliminary taking of evidence, but not the preliminary investigation, which was only carried out after the publication of the media raw material. This text can therefore deviate in details from the results of the preliminary investigation. The media raw material can be downloaded under "Links".
