Swiss army strengthens defence in military exercise in Austria
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Swiss army strengthens defence in military exercise in Austria
The Swiss Armed Forces have bolstered their defence capabilities through the exercise TRIAS 25. Around 1,000 soldiers have now returned from Allentsteig in Austria to Thun, Switzerland.
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The cooperation with the Austrian and German armed forces has facilitated an exchange of experience and knowledge, the defence ministry announced on Tuesday. As part of the refresher course, mechanised troops were particularly involved.
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The defence ministry reported that troops were able to fully develop their potential on the 157-square-kilometre weapons range in Allentsteig, north-west of Vienna in Austria. This range is about ten times larger than Swiss combat training centres like those in Bure and Walenstadt.
“We experienced an exercise unlike anything we’ve seen in 30 years. We were able to train in ways that aren’t possible anywhere else in Switzerland,” divisional commander Benedikt Roos told the Keystone-SDA news agency. One of the biggest challenges was the unfamiliar terrain, as well as providing four meals a day for the troops due to shift work.
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The TRIAS 25 combat mission cost around CHF4 million ($4.8 million) more than a typical mission. The army plans to conduct more such “troop trials” abroad in the coming years, it said.
Soldiers injured during Swiss army training session in Austria
Several accidents, some serious, occurred during the refresher course. Last week, an armoured car ran over a young Swiss soldier in a sleeping bag during a night-time exercise, seriously injuring his legs.
In another incident in Austria, a 22-year-old Swiss soldier caused a road accident. Police reports indicate he was trying to cross an armoured road at the Allentsteig training area when he collided with the car of a 19-year-old woman. Both drivers sustained injuries of unknown severity.
Two other Swiss soldiers were hospitalised in Austria after suffering smoke inhalation while trying to extinguish a forest fire. The military justice authorities are investigating the accidents.
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Translated from German with DeepL/sp
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