All hell is loose in the Swiss army

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The war in Ukraine causes red heads in the Swiss army. The Panzer Officers’ Society (OG Panzer) is in full swing against the VBS defense department and its own army command. She strongly opposes plans to mothball 25 Leopard tanks to Germany.

Berlin had asked if Switzerland could donate some of its tanks. They should fill holes in their own supplies, after Germany supplied tanks to Ukraine. Defense Minister Viola Amherd (60) and army chief Thomas Süssli (56) are open. In addition to the 134 “Leos” in service, 96 have been in storage for many years. Makes a total of 230, of which you can specify 25. Of these 230 tanks, 25 are replaceable.

But the OG Panzer wants nothing to do with it. On the contrary: it even requires 70 extra tanks!

Attack by ground troops remains unlikely

But that is not only well received in its own ranks. Tank major Michael Tschumi (38) believes that unrealistic demands undermine the credibility of the army. Since a year, objective assessments of the situation are hardly possible: “The mere fact that a conventional war is taking place in Europe again is used as a direct legitimation for the need for a conventional Swiss defense army.”

There is a lot of rumbling in military circles. As the OG Panzer goes on a rampage, the deal is defended by other officers. Major tank battles remained unlikely in Switzerland, according to a federal report published after the outbreak of war.

Cold warriors want to upgrade instead of convert

“Conservative mood makers” but dismissed the military’s current orientation as downsizing. You would torpedo them that way, is criticized. OG Panzer is eager to return to fighting conventional armed conflict – and to rearm en masse. “More is more” and “don’t give up anything that Parliament may not be able to replace later” was the motto.

That causes misunderstanding. The strategy is not technically resilient, says Panzer Major Tschumi. The military actually needs more money – but for comprehensive protection of society. Armored forces assets must be modernized and capability gaps closed. However, against hybrid threats, according to Tschumi, even fewer “Leos” and more armored personnel carriers are needed. Because: “A direct attack by Russia with ground troops is also unlikely in the foreseeable future.”

Military associations are not green

While the OG Panzer reckons with at least 300 tanks, the VBS calculates it quite differently: it assumes six battalions of 28 tanks each, i.e. 168 units. In addition, 12 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.

The Swiss Military Association (VMG) goes even further. He wants to sell more tanks to Germany. That ended the “rusty debate”. As a replacement, Switzerland would have to quickly acquire new main battle tanks. But even the VBS does not currently see any new main battle tanks on the market that can be acquired within a reasonable time frame.

A long-simmering dispute openly breaks out

The VMG push, in turn, is hurting the Swiss Officers’ Society (SOG). SOG chairman Dominik Knill (64) clarifies that as long as a binding defense strategy does not reach a different conclusion, his association will reject the sale or decommissioning of Leopard tanks and the purchase of new tanks.

The chaos in military circles seems perfect. There is no uniform strategy. With the current tank debate, the long-simmering dispute over the direction of the military is openly erupting. This makes it difficult even for security politicians in parliament to form an opinion in the debates about a possible sale of the tank.

Source:Blick