Drone ecosystem: first Drohnenforum Schweiz in Thun calls for more speed and less bureaucracy

More than 300 representatives of the armed forces, industry, research, administration and politics gathered at the Thun military training area (Waffenplatz Thun) on 19 October for the first Drohnenforum Schweiz. Discussion centred on how a capable Swiss drone ecosystem can emerge, which models of cooperation it requires and how technological innovation can be turned into military capability more quickly. Two of the most prominent speakers set a blunt tone right at the start: Chief of the Armed Forces Benedikt Roos and Armaments Chief Urs Loher.

The event was organised by the Taskforce Drohnen (the Swiss drone task force). The forum is intended to give momentum to cooperation between the armed forces, research and business, while providing concrete impetus for Switzerland's future defence capability.

The forum was opened by Thomas Rothacher, Deputy Armaments Chief at Armasuisse and head of its Science and Technology competence sector.

Chief of the Armed Forces Roos calls for a cultural shift

The Swiss Armed Forces are investing billions in drones and counter-drone systems, a dedicated drone battalion is planned and new structures are being created. For Chief of the Armed Forces Lieutenant General Benedikt Roos, however, new systems and additional money alone are not enough. He called for less perfectionism and bureaucracy and, above all, for military capabilities to be developed and introduced more quickly.

His appeal: “At some point we have written enough books, now we finally have to do things.” The drone battalion is to be established as early as 2028, with the first recruit school for it planned for spring 2027. In addition, more than two billion Swiss francs have been earmarked for counter-drone systems and robotics over the next twelve years.

“We are too slow along the entire chain” – Armaments Chief Loher

Armaments Chief Urs Loher argued along similar lines, but located the difficulties not only in procurement but in the military innovation system as a whole.

On the battlefield, tactics and countermeasures sometimes change within a few weeks – political decisions, funding and procurement programmes, by contrast, often take years.

For Loher, faster procedures alone were therefore not the answer. He called for a fundamental rethink of how future wars will be fought and which capabilities they will require: “Perhaps our greatest need to catch up is not in drone technology at all, but in the creativity with which we take its consequences seriously.”

Loher used the Swiss reconnaissance drone system ADS 15 to illustrate how much traditional procurement procedures can struggle: its development and introduction have stretched over almost two decades.

What a drone ecosystem needs beyond procurement

The other presentations made clear that a capable drone ecosystem involves far more than military procurement. Dominique Gruhl-Bégin, Director of the Swiss innovation agency Innosuisse, spoke about the importance of resilient and secure technologies for defence and mobility. From a scientific perspective, Ivo Capaul of the Center for Security Studies (CSS) at ETH Zürich examined what a functioning Swiss drone ecosystem requires and the challenges it poses. Benjamin Wepfer of Centaurium UAS, in turn, addressed how its security can be measured and assessed in concrete terms.

A subsequent panel discussion brought these perspectives together. The panel comprised Armaments Chief Urs Loher, Major General (Divisionär) Yves Gächter, Commander of the Land Forces of the Swiss Armed Forces, Dominique Gruhl-Bégin, Ivo Capaul and Pirmin Berger of Centaurium UAS. The discussion covered current challenges, differing priorities and how the armed forces, research and industry will continue to work together in future.

Tech hub for drones and robotics planned

Future activities are to centre on the planned Zentrum Unbemannte Systeme VBS (Centre for Unmanned Systems of the Swiss defence department). This tech hub is intended to bring together what the troops need operationally, what armasuisse can deliver technologically and the know-how contributed by universities, start-ups and established companies.

The initiative is closely linked to the “Eiger” project, through which unmanned systems are to be developed, tested and rapidly improved.

Alongside the presentations and discussions, an exhibition showcased technologies and services related to drones and counter-drone systems. Thematic workshops followed in the afternoon, in which participants addressed topics including suitable test ranges in Switzerland, military requirements, procurement and export processes, and resilience and technological dependency.

From discussion to practice

The first Sicherheitsforum Drohnen Schweiz showed that technological expertise alone does not yet guarantee the country military capability to act. The decisive factor will be how quickly new ideas are tested, refined and produced – and how quickly they finally reach the troops.

Thun thus delivered a clear core message: Swiss research and industry have considerable expertise. The armed forces, armasuisse, politics and business now face the task of linking these capabilities more closely – and, above all, of putting them into practice faster.