Four mechanised battalions, along with a logistics battalion and a mountain infantry troop, started the training exercise on November 22. Other formations that participated in the exercise included an electronic warfare group and a Special Forces Command detachment.
The army wanted to evaluate its capacity to defend the country and its inhabitants in case of armed conflict. The exercise simulated a land attack from the north, through Basel.
Military top brass said on Monday that the exercises had been positive overall but commented that the armed forces could improve radio communication over different terrains.
The pacifist group ‘Switzerland Without an Army’ criticised the large-scale exercise as “absurd”, saying energies and resources would have been better directed at solving an even greater threat – climate change.
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Military fears links with business unravelling
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Besieged by an increasing number of overseas firms complaining that their staff are being taken away from work for military duty, the army has launched a charm offensive in an attempt to convince foreign executives of the benefits of the militia system. Equally at home amid the mud and explosions of battlefield exercises and multinational…
Young undocumented migrants gain easier access to vocational training
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Rejected asylum-seekers and young undocumented migrants in Switzerland will have easier access to basic vocational training from June 1.
Migration: Swiss government wants to shorten reunification period for families
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Family members of people temporarily admitted to Switzerland should in future be able to join them after two years instead of three.
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2023 was a record year for the Rhaetian Railway in several respects. Never before has the narrow-gauge railway in Graubünden, eastern Switzerland, transported so many passengers and cars.
Swiss CFOs much more optimistic despite global uncertainty
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The main concerns of business leaders in Switzerland are geopolitical uncertainty and the important trading partners Germany and China.
Record organ donation in Switzerland despite high rejection rates
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More organ donations were recorded in Switzerland in 2023 than ever before. This was despite a high rejection rate of 58% by surviving relatives.
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Seven years after the death of record-breaking Swiss mountain climber Ueli Steck, his estate is going to the Alpine Museum of Switzerland in Bern.
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Government wants to boost ties with NATO
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Switzerland must strengthen its military cooperation with NATO in view of the war in Ukraine, while respecting its neutrality, says the government.
Poll: most Swiss are reluctant to increase defence spending
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A majority of the Swiss population is not in favour of increasing spending on defence, despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.
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Switzerland will not change its policy of political neutrality despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the government has confirmed.
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Few people in Switzerland are aware of the existence of AAD10, an elite detachment that gets deployed only under government approval.
Government wants command centre in case of ‘nuclear event’
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The Swiss government on Friday laid out responsibilities in case of a nuclear attack or nuclear disaster linked to the war in Ukraine.
Right-wing starts collecting signatures for ‘neutrality initiative’
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A right-wing initiative has been launched which aims to prohibit Switzerland from entering into defence alliances and participating in sanctions.
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.