The initiative will connect military units with universities and industry, aiming to move promising drone solutions from testing grounds into service faster.
Switzerland is stepping up the development of military unmanned technologies. The Federal Department of Defence plans to establish a center of excellence for unmanned systems, while a dedicated drone battalion is set to become operational within the country’s Armed Forces as early as 2028.
This is reported by Swissinfo.
The new unit will be used for reconnaissance and defense missions. The launch of the initiative was announced at the military training ground in Thun by Swiss Defense Minister Martin Pfister, Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Benedict Roos, and Urs Loher, director of the Federal Office for Defence Procurement, “armasuisse.”
Unmanned Systems Center for the Swiss Army
The center of excellence will be responsible for developing, testing, and deploying drones and related technologies for the Swiss military. Research institutions, universities, industrial companies, and business representatives will be involved in implementing the project.
The initiative is intended to combine the needs of army units with armasuisse’s technical expertise, as well as the knowledge of researchers and manufacturers. This approach is expected to speed up the development of promising solutions, their testing in real-world conditions, and their subsequent adoption into service.
Drone Battalion to Become Operational in 2028
Switzerland will establish a specialized school to train recruits for the new unmanned aircraft battalion. Service members will be trained to operate unmanned systems used for reconnaissance and defense.
At the same time, Swiss authorities are preparing amendments to regulations and legislation. These changes are intended to govern the activities of the future battalion and the use of unmanned technologies within the country’s Armed Forces.