SWITZERLAND [NEWS SERVICE] ⋅ From New Year’s Eve, Switzerland will have an air police around the clock. Two jets are now available at any time and are ready for use within 15 minutes. That costs 30 million francs a year.
(wap) On New Year’s Eve, the Swiss Armed Forces air police service is in place: the Air Force completed its “LP 24” project in time for the New Year’s celebration. This means that two armed fighter planes are ready for action around the clock, and can take off within 15 minutes if necessary in order to counteract unauthorized or dangerous movements in Swiss airspace. 100 new jobs were created for the full expansion, according to a statement from the army published on Tuesday. She puts the additional costs at 30 million francs per year.
The 24-hour surveillance goes back to a motion by the then Council of States Hans Hess (FDP / OW). He submitted this in 2009. The concern had gained momentum in 2014 when the French army had to intervene over Geneva with two Mirages 2000 to accompany a hijacked Ethiopian plane. At that time, the Swiss Air Force was only operational during office hours. Federal Councilor Ueli Maurer promised improvement.
The air force has now implemented the project on schedule, according to a message sent by the army on Tuesday. It started in 2016 with the expansion of operational readiness to 50 weeks a year, during which two jets were made clear between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. In 2017 this presence became year-round. The jets have been in operation continuously from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. since 2019.
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