Even more money for the army: officers want a loan of 5 billion for tanks

The tanks are vital to the officer corps: “The war in Ukraine shows us incessantly how important a strong tank is for a country.” They are “disappointed and extremely concerned”: because in the National Council the die should have been cast after the Federal Council had given the go-ahead. The OG Panzer criticizes that it “collapsed under pressure from abroad” and still hopes that the Council of States will make a decision in the autumn.

Officers are asking for 132 more tanks

But the tank officers did not stop there in their fight against the impending tank deal with Berlin. At the same time, they make maximum demands! With 134 operational and 96 mothballed Leopard tanks, Switzerland has no surplus. On the contrary, more steel giants are needed for an operational army. And enough! Another 132 tanks will be added to the 230 existing tanks. All in all: 362 tanks.

But even Federal Councilor Viola Amherd (61) of Defense of the DDPS encountered incomprehension. Major tank battles remain unlikely in Switzerland, according to a new federal report. The VBS therefore assumes six battalions of 28 tanks each, or 168 units. In addition, twelve tanks are needed for training and 25 as reserve and for spare parts. Makes 205. This leaves 25 of the existing 230 tanks that can be sold back.

bickering within the military

The OG Panzer, on the other hand, wants nothing to do with the math skills in the VBS. She therefore puts two demands on politicians: not only must the 96 decommissioned “Leos” be modernized, but also the 134 tanks already in service must be quickly updated. The officers expect costs of about 1.7 billion Swiss francs. In any case, here they run into open doors, since the VBS still wants to modernize the tank fleet.

The second requirement, on the other hand, probably won’t stand a chance. This is about 132 new tanks. OG Panzer expects a cost of CHF 25 million each, which equates to CHF 3.3 billion. Together with the modernization measures, this would lead to costs of five billion Swiss francs. Moreover: the parliament has to decide on the expenditure as an extra credit. They should not be financed from the regular army budget, so as not to jeopardize other investments.

Politically completely useless

You don’t have to be a prophet to predict that the OG Panzer will be lost in their demands. After the outbreak of war in Ukraine, parliament demanded increased spending on the army. The budget must increase to at least one percent of gross domestic product by 2030. However, for reasons of savings, the Bundesrat wants to give 300 to 800 million francs less annually.

An additional loan of five billion francs is politically at odds with the landscape. Even in military circles, such “unrealistic demands” are sometimes met with opposition, as they can erode the military’s credibility. The battle for the future of the military continues.