Since last Tuesday, 300 heavy armored vehicles have been driving through the Mittelland. In addition, there are at least as many light vehicles. The largest exercise since the end of the Cold War.
A total of 250,000 tons of vehicles and soldiers will be moved. Pilum 22 is the name of the exercise, named after a Roman spear. A special choice of words: The Roman pilum could only be used once, after the throw the spear was gone.
Future of the ground forces
The exercise examines the future cooperation between the various service branches. The name is not intended to indicate a single use, says division director René Wellinger (56): “It stands for a decisive effect over long distances.”
The ground forces must be easier to maneuver and more flexible in the future. The exercise aims to check the basic report “Future of the Ground Forces” in real terrain with today’s material. The scenario: a conflict in Europe, the enemy is north of Basel. Switzerland is only indirectly affected, but armed troops cause unrest. A hybrid war.
No extra costs
Army Commander Wellinger gives interviews on the highway bridge of Othmarsingen AG, as the tanks roll back from a successful operation to the operations center below. The sound of the tanks drowns out the trainer. At 1 am he gave the order: a fictional opponent is in Birrfeld and must be eliminated.
Brigadier General Gregor Metzler (55) commands the experienced unit, the 11th Mechanized Brigade. “I’m tired, but happy,” he says. During the exercise he was sometimes only allowed to sleep for three hours – even for the boss alone in a sleeping bag. The hours worked will not entail any extra costs, everything will be done in the context of World Cups.
commitment and seriousness
Metzler is happy with his soldiers. He praises the efforts of the troops. They would have shown great seriousness, especially in the operations led by the blue light organizations. Because the troops were on duty with the Aargau Cantonal Police for three nights, for example during police checks. They want to work more closely with civil authorities.
The interim conclusion at the media conference: praise for the troops, but the joint deployment with special operations forces and the disposal of explosives needs more practice. In addition, there were some bumps in communication over long distances. However, cooperation with the cyber troops would have worked well.
It’s hard to figure out what the exercise was like for the simple soldiers. They are silent. Was the big exercise a welcome change? “Yes,” says one. How was the experience? “Good.”