The head of the Swiss Army, Benedikt Roos, has admitted that the country faces "real shortcomings" in ground-to-air defense systems, at a time when the global security situation is deteriorating due to hybrid warfare and geopolitical tensions.
In an interview for the RTS news edition, Roos stressed that Switzerland needs more security in the face of developments in Ukraine, Iran and other unstable regions, albinfo.ch reports.
According to him, the country has critical infrastructure of great importance for all of Europe, and an attack on it could cause serious consequences for the stability of the continent.
Rapidly changing risk
Roos warned that the international situation is highly volatile and “can change very, very quickly,” making it difficult to analyze the intentions of the parties to the conflict. He cited the bombings that hit Dubai as an example.
The two main priorities of the army
The head of the army stressed that the debate should not focus only on the budget increase, but on the overall need for greater security in Switzerland.
He identified two main priority areas:
strengthening anti-missile and anti-drone systems, in the face of long-range threats;
confronting hybrid threats, especially cyberattacks that occur "every day".
Shortcomings in air defense
Roos openly admitted that the Swiss military has significant problems in ground-to-air defense, citing delays in supplies and rising costs for ordered equipment.
"We really have shortcomings," he said.
Reform and personnel needs
He added that the military is also analyzing military personnel needs, considering whether more or fewer soldiers will be needed, as new systems under development may require fewer people.
"The goal is to be ready when these systems arrive," Roos said.
He also emphasized that his role is to look ahead, while decisions on the budget and defense policies belong to politics.
"Policy sets the framework, while my mission is to find the best solutions to equip our soldiers with reliable equipment," he said.
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