CommunicationPublished on 27 March 2026

A look back at the presentation of the 2026 Army Message: Armament Programme

On 23 March 2026, this year’s presentation of the Army Message kicked off at the Thun military training area. Over four days, representatives from the Army, industry, politics and the media gained in-depth insights into the current armaments programme. At information stands, project managers presented their plans clearly using models and interactive programmes, whilst addressing visitors’ questions.

Nina Schmid, Communications Division, Strategic Staff

A model of the 35 mm truck-mounted anti-aircraft system on display at the Swiss Army Tank Hall in Thun — - — © DDPS

Urs Loher, head of the armaments agency, emphasizes the changed security situation and calls for swift, pragmatic action rather than a wait-and-see approach — - — © DDPS

Brigadier Eric Steinhauser highlights the significance of hybrid threats and outlines the priorities and funding of the Army’s budget proposal — - — © DDPS

Model of the IRIS-T SLM system, illustrating the networked engagement of air targets in the mid-altitude airspace — - — © DDPS

A new defence system is set to protect critical infrastructure from drones that are difficult to detect — - — © DDPS

The Pistole 26 is the successor to the Pistole 75 and will gradually replace it after around fifty years — - — © DDPS

Each procurement project was presented along with a summary of the relevant information — - — © DDPS

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Presentations

Chief of Defence Urs Loher painted a clear picture: the era when security was taken for granted is over; the security policy landscape has shifted. Modern wars are decided by industrial capacity, speed, financial resources and endurance. Whilst Europe is rearming on a massive scale, Switzerland risks falling behind in the overheated defence market and will enter a phase of increased vulnerability from 2028 onwards. At the same time, there are significant capability gaps in defending against attacks from a distance. Currently, only around 8% of Switzerland can be protected against air attacks using ground-based assets. His conclusion: do not wait for perfect planning, but act swiftly, create financial leeway and procure pragmatically; otherwise, the risk will simply be deferred to the future.

Brigadier Eric Steinhauser, Head of Army Planning, warned of the danger of hybrid warfare. For this reason, the armaments programme focuses not only on air defence but also on electronic warfare and the expansion of the relevant infrastructure. After presenting the individual procurement projects, he explained the financing: the Federal Council is requesting commitment credits of around 3.4 billion Swiss francs from Parliament. Of this, 2.4 billion is earmarked for armaments investments and 562 million for property projects. In addition, the Federal Council submitted a federal resolution for 394 million Swiss francs to cover the additional costs associated with the procurement of the new F-35A fighter aircraft.

Arms Programme Projects

• Ground-based medium-range air defence (supplementary procurement)

  The aim is to ensure rapid, networked and independent engagement of air targets in medium-altitude airspace. To this end, the proven IRIS-T SLM system for engaging targets in low and medium-altitude airspace (up to 8,000 m above sea level) is being specifically supplemented. Two additional fire units and further guided missiles are intended in particular to ensure the defence against cruise missiles, drones and fighter aircraft. The additional guided missiles will be delivered from 2028, with the further fire units following from 2030.

• Ground-based air defence with a shorter range

  For the short-range sector up to 3,000 metres, the Army is relying on a semi-mobile 35mm anti-aircraft gun mounted on a truck, designed specifically to protect critical infrastructure such as power stations, airfields or Army logistics centres. A model of this system was on display in the hall, supplemented by cross-sectional views of the ammunition and a replica control centre that clearly demonstrates the tracking of drones. A total of eight fire units are expected to be operational from 2028.

• Defence against mini-drones

  The threat posed by small, hard-to-detect drones is growing. They can be used for reconnaissance, to cause disruption or to attack critical infrastructure such as airports or energy facilities. From 2028, a deployable, modular defence system capable of detecting, identifying and neutralising mini-drones is therefore to be introduced in stages. The system combines sensors, control units and effectors such as jammers or radar, and can be expanded as required with interceptor drones or missiles.

• Semi-mobile medium-range radar

  The TAFLIR tactical airborne radar will be decommissioned at the end of 2028, as its range and technology no longer meet current requirements. A modern, semi-mobile radar system with a range of around 200 kilometres is scheduled to be operational from 2030. It accurately detects, tracks and classifies small, fast and low-flying targets and, thanks to its integration into an all-terrain carrier vehicle, can be deployed flexibly. The new system improves airspace surveillance and provides early warning of threats such as drones or missiles.

• Space Capability Development

  From 2027, capability development will begin through the ‘Alpstar’ project in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA). It comprises a network of interconnected ground stations and a prototype radar reconnaissance satellite, and aims to establish a comprehensive space situational awareness picture, improve intelligence gathering, enable precise navigation and protect our own systems. Real-time satellite surveillance can already be observed at the information stand: several signals over Switzerland are recorded daily and evaluated immediately.

• Increasing resilience for the shared use of civilian services

  To increase the resilience of data and voice communications, the Army is establishing its own core infrastructure, which will provide preferential access to mobile networks between 2027 and 2030. In addition, existing fibre-optic networks will be shared, and the voice communication system will be further developed so that military devices can communicate directly with smartphones or tablets in future. These measures ensure secure, high-performance data transmission that is available at all times, even in the event of cyber attacks or power cuts.

• Electronic warfare

  Modern warfare increasingly involves operations in the electromagnetic spectrum. The INSIGNE project aims to modernise and expand these capabilities. At the information stand, this is illustrated using an illuminated terrain model: red tank figures symbolise enemy assets, whose radio signals are detected by blue sensors and neutralised by yellow jammers. To remain operational at all levels, existing electronic warfare systems are being expanded. New sensors and effectors are to be modular, robust and mobile, enabling troops to independently detect, locate and, if necessary, jam radio signals. Procurement will take place in stages from 2027 onwards.

• Pistol 26

  After fifty years, the Pistol 26 is replacing the Pistol 75 (SIG P220), whose stock will only last for around four more years and for which spare parts are scarcely available. The introduction will take place gradually over five years and is intended to reliably equip the Army for the planned service life of 30 years. The procurement comprises pistols, spare magazines, holsters and the necessary maintenance and repair equipment. The new pistol will be introduced from 2028.

• Procurement of F-35A fighter aircraft (supplementary credit)

  The supplementary credit requested to finance the additional costs incurred in connection with the procurement of the new F-35A fighter aircraft also includes the costs of VAT and the FMS administration fee.  A supplementary credit of CHF 394 million will enable Switzerland to procure a total of approximately 30 F-35A fighter aircraft – based on current information (February 2026). This number is not yet final. It can only be confirmed once the US government has negotiated the contracts with the manufacturers for the remaining aircraft and the engines in the next production batches. This solution respects the financial commitment ceiling approved by the electorate.