Switzerland would not be able to defend itself against a larger attack and must increase military spending in the face of growing risks from Russiasaid the Commander of the Swiss Armed Forces, Thomas Süssli. TASR informs about it according to a Reuters report.
- Switzerland faces proposals to increase military spending for better defense.
- The commander of the armed forces drew attention to the lack of equipment in the army.
- The country is modernizing its armed forces and investing in new fighters.
- The attitude towards the army remains unchanged despite the war in Ukraine.
- Switzerland plans to increase military spending to 1% of GDP by 2032.
The country is prepared for attacks by “non-state actors” on critical infrastructure and for cyber attacks, but its military still lacks equipment, Süssli told the Neue Zürcher Zeitung. “We cannot defend ourselves against threats from afar, nor against a large-scale attack on our country,” stated the commander, who will end his tenure at the end of the year. “It’s disturbing to know that in a real crisis situation, only a third of all soldiers would be fully equipped,” he said in an interview published on Saturday.
Switzerland is increasing defense spending, modernizing artillery and ground systems and replacing aging aircraft with Lockheed Martin F-35A fighter jets. But the plan is at risk of cost overruns, while critics question spending on artillery and munitions as federal funding is tight.
Süssli said that the attitude towards the military has not changed in the country despite the war in Ukraine and Russia’s efforts to destabilize Europe. According to him, Switzerland’s distance from the conflict, the lack of recent war experience and the belief that neutrality provides protection are to blame, writes Reuters. “There are several neutral countries that were not armed and were drawn into the war. Neutrality has value only if it can be defended by arms.” he emphasized.
Bern has pledged to gradually increase defense spending to about one percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2032, up from about 0.7 percent now. However, NATO countries have agreed to increase defense spending to five percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035. At this rate, the Swiss military would not be fully ready until around 2050. “That’s too long considering the threat,” added Süssli.
