Officers sound the alarm: ‘The army has serious shortages’

Your predecessor has criticized your treatment of VBS boss Viola Amherd and your leadership style and now wants to overthrow you as president.
Fundamental opposition cannot achieve much in the Ministry of Defense. I believe in a critical but constructive dialogue. We expect the Federal Council to take the constitutional mandate of national defense seriously. That costs a lot of money.

Isn’t it unusual for a pastor to challenge his successor for office?
Six months ago I announced that I would be running for another year. The fact that Stefan Holenstein is now starting at short notice without informing me in advance does not correspond to my understanding of camaraderie. My successor in 2025 should come from Latin Switzerland.

What do you say about the accusation that the office and you cost too much?
I am a volunteer president and receive a modest flat rate and expenses. You cannot run an association without an office.

The army is missing billions of francs. Is your cuddle class with Mrs. Amherd appropriate?
The Federal President clearly states that the army has been reduced in recent decades. The military follows the primacy of politics, which must now take responsibility. The Swiss Officers Association supports the policy.

Shouldn’t the head of the army, Thomas Süssli, resign if the army’s achievements are no longer there?
There was already a shortage of equipment during the Cold War. It is in the army leader’s favor that he identifies shortcomings and looks for solutions. Giving up doesn’t seem like an option. Ms Amherd expressed her confidence in Mr Süssli.

How dramatic are the Swiss military’s capacity shortages?
The military has serious shortages. The war in Ukraine has increased the demand for weapons and made delivery times long and expensive. Outdated systems cost a lot of money to maintain, are inefficient and increasingly pose a danger to operators. Half equipped is not cheap security, but a waste of money. Now that there is war in Europe, we must spare no effort to close the capability gaps as quickly as possible.

French President Emmanuel Macron deployed Western ground troops to Ukraine this week.
That would be extremely problematic – NATO would be directly at war with Russia. That is not in our interest. I am pleased that German Chancellor Scholz has clearly contradicted this.

Would French troops be allowed to cross Switzerland?
That would violate the neutrality law. As a Frenchman, I would choose the route via Germany or Italy.

The army message for 2024 states that an attack on Switzerland with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles or armed drones is “more likely”. Should we prepare for war?
I think a major conventional war against Switzerland is unlikely. However, I do not speculate on the likelihood that other forms of warfare will occur. The possibility that Switzerland will be affected has become more likely.

SP and SVP want to ban the Swiss army from participating in NATO exercises that concern the defense situation.
The conditions for cooperation are determined by NATO and not by Switzerland. Our current militia system would be overwhelmed.

Do the SP and the SVP form an unholy alliance in the neutrality initiative?
Switzerland’s reliability and credibility are at risk due to the neutrality initiative, which is in fact an initiative that prohibits sanctions. Neutrality is a means to an end. The neutrality policy must guarantee the government’s freedom of action.

Are you a NATO turbo, Mr. Knill?
I can’t do much with this term. In terms of content, it is clear to me: we are part of the European security area and depend on its stability. It is therefore important to consolidate and diversify cooperation with like-minded neighbors and the main Western security organization. I reject Switzerland’s accession to NATO. I support armed neutrality with a fully equipped and adequately supplied militia army.

The army chief wants to increase the troop strength from 100,000 to 120,000. Wouldn’t we need better material first?
In light of the experience gained during the war in Ukraine, I think the limit of 100,000 soldiers is too narrow. It is still unclear how the increase will be implemented. We could expand mandatory military service and training and reintegrate discharged military members. We might consider reintroducing a second class of army and then we should reduce the large number of people leaving civilian service. However, without modern equipment and secure finances, an increase in inventory remains unlikely.