Swiss Armed Forces: Lieutenant General Roos calls for a radical rethink – “enough books written”

The Swiss Armed Forces are investing billions in drones and counter-drone systems, planning a dedicated drone battalion and creating new structures. For Lieutenant General (Korpskommandant) Benedikt Roos, however, that is not enough. On 19 October, at the first Sicherheitsforum Drohnen Schweiz in Thun, he called for a fundamental cultural shift – with less perfectionism, less bureaucracy and, above all, considerably more speed.

Pointing to the increasingly tense security situation in Europe, Roos warned: “We are no longer at peace either.” Almost word for word, the new Austrian Chief of General Staff Harald Vodosek had also recently expressed the same view. Switzerland, he said, must leave behind the notion that the country is automatically protected by its geographical location and neutrality.

Should the situation on the NATO eastern flank escalate militarily, Switzerland could become a rear area and thus a target itself, the Lieutenant General warned. As potential targets, he named the energy supply, data centres and the important north–south routes through the Alps. Modern technologies make attacks over great distances possible.

Swiss Armed Forces: billions and a new drone battalion

The Swiss army has drawn consequences from the changed threats. More than two billion Swiss francs (around 2.17 billion euros) have been earmarked for counter-drone systems and robotics over the next twelve years. A dedicated drone battalion is to be in place as early as 2028; the first recruit school for it is planned for spring 2027.

In addition, the armed forces and Armasuisse are building an innovation ecosystem under the project name “Eiger”, in which the military, defence procurement, science and industry are to move closer together. For Roos, however, it is clear that new structures and additional money alone will not be enough.

“The point is not that the Swiss Armed Forces now need more money; the point is that Switzerland needs more security.”
Lieutenant General (Korpskommandant) Benedikt Ross

Appeal: “Now we finally have to do things”

The Lieutenant General was particularly sharp in his criticism of the existing planning and procurement culture. Switzerland, he said, must leave behind excessive special requirements and lengthy procedures, as well as the ambition to define every technical solution down to the last detail before introduction. His appeal was unmistakable: “At some point we have written enough books, now we finally have to do things.”

Instead of planning perfect systems for years, the army must procure more quickly, test in practice and then improve continuously. This also requires more willingness to take risks and to accept mistakes as part of development.

Roos also questioned the widespread practice of national special adaptations: why should a system that works in Germany or France not be just as usable in Switzerland?

More experiments, fewer regulations

Roos also sees a need for action on the regulatory framework. Anyone developing modern drones needs test ranges where systems can be tested under realistic conditions – even if a drone crashes in the process.

He cited improvised armed drones from Ukraine as an example: testing them in Switzerland would fail because of numerous regulations. Particularly with technologies whose innovation cycles are extremely short, Switzerland can less and less afford such hurdles.

An appeal beyond the armed forces

Roos explicitly addressed not only the armed forces. Politics, industry and science must also cooperate more closely and question established routines. There is no lack of potential: the Swiss militia army in particular provides access to highly qualified specialists from a wide range of technology fields.

This potential must now finally be used consistently. The Lieutenant General's message thus went far beyond the announcement of new drone programmes: even if Switzerland invests billions and sets up new units, without a fundamentally changed way of working it risks failing to keep pace with technological development. Roos himself put it this way: “We have to move forward.”