The Swiss air force hours of operations?

Pi1otguy

Pi1otguy

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Mon-Fri: 8am to sunset?

Is it normal for an entire country's airforce to only operate during "normal business hours"?

Isn't letting another air force perform military ops in your airspace an invite for an international incident? What if the french decided they had to shoot down the jet (to protect Swiss interest)?

http://www.thelocal.fr/20140218/hijacking-french-jets-swiss-airforce
article said:
This was confirmed by a Swiss airforce spokesman Laurent Savary on Monday.
"Switzerland cannot intervene because its airbases are closed at night and on the weekend," the spokesman told AFP.
Click to expand...
 
I thought they used LSA's, daylight VFR only! And of course weekends are family time. :D
 
Why operate an air force 24/7 when you're not afraid of being attacked by air? Especially when you can subcontract out the after-hours stuff. I'd bet that if a couple of French Mirages started taking fire, the Swiss might wake someone up. You have to admit, though, it's s pretty low probability.
 
Reminds of an old Pete Seeger song about the Andorra military budget.

http://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=mcafee&type=A111US0&p=Pete+Seeger+Andorra

and the facts... Near the bottom of the statement
http://www.un.org/webcast/ga/58/statements/andoeng030925.htm

STATEMENT BY H.E. MR. MARC FORNE MOLNE
PRESIDENT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PRINCIPALITY OF ANDORRA
New York, Thursday, September 25th, 2003
Check against delivery
...
Ladies and Gentlemen
The insignificant part in the Andorran budget devoted to the purchase of weapons, resulted in the composer and singer Pete Seeger dedicating us a song during the 1960's. His verses still echo today, just like when he made a whole generation sing "We will overcome".
Many things have happened since those days and Andorra doesn't even put four dollars and fifty cents towards its defense budget. We don't spend a cent.
With what is squandered in new and old weapons, the whole of mankind could live correctly. We could eliminate illness.
Education and culture would be made available for all. This way we could end fanaticism, and all those who abuse the ignorance of the people, would end up with no victims nor lackeys.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let us try and make some use of these long debates and speeches which we applaud with diplomatic courtesy, often without even hearing them. Too much is at stake for all of us.
Thank you very much.
 
I say BS. Maybe some general who needed to authorize the mission was in bed, I don't believe the whole air force was closed. Especially knowing the source of the info...news. :mad2:
 
Wars begun after normal business hours will result in in a call-out surcharge.

Telephone or e-mail our receptionist, who will be happy to schedule an attack appointment. Please specify whether you plan an air raid, artillery barrage or ground invasion.

Have a nice day, and be sure to "like" us on Facebook.
 
DaleB said:
Why operate an air force 24/7 when you're not afraid of being attacked by air? Especially when you can subcontract out the after-hours stuff. I'd bet that if a couple of French Mirages started taking fire, the Swiss might wake someone up. You have to admit, though, it's s pretty low probability.
Click to expand...
Still not sure who would even bother to invade but air would be more practical than land. Though I don't know who would care enough to violate Italy, Austria, or France in the process.
 
My guess is those crafty Swiss have a GPS device that does not jam the signal, but causes it to shift enough that attacking aircraft (night or IMC) all get "intercepted" by their Cumulo-Granite :)
 
1989, the Swiss voted on abolishing their military alltogether. The initative was defeated 65/35 but it made clear that support for keeping the military was far from universal. With the system of universal military service, the role of the military is more one of social cohesion rather than defensive need. The swiss spend 0.7% of their GDP on defense, the US spends 0.35% of GDP on dog-food, both have about the same influence on keeping the russians at bay.
 
Switzerland has long reaped the benefits of neutrality and non-intervention, both of which said policies are less likely to result in other nations hating you.

I don't know how long Switzerland's neutrality and non-intervention will be enough, however, now that crackpots motivated by distorted interpretations of religious writings have become serious threats. Civilized (and even not-so-civilized) nations tend to consider the consequences before engaging in things like acts of war. Religiously-motivated lunatics, not so much.

-Rich
 
Ah but they are neutral and hold everyone's money. I'll just stand here and hold both your wallets while you fight it out...
 
Their defense network is like

(okay somebody had to say it right)

Swiss cheese....
 
Euros are different than us. I remember working a Belgium F-16 accident once as part of a USAF support team. We broke for a two hour four course lunch with wine every day and the Squadron Ready Room Bar opened promptly at 1700 when the day's flying (and work) was over.

After a couple of days of this, the USAF contingent requested a one hour lunch break and to be allowed to work from 0700 to 1900. This almost caused an international crisis. :yes:

Cheers
 
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