List of equipment of the Swiss Armed Forces
This is a list of weapons, vehicles and aircraft used by the Swiss Armed Forces at present or in the past.
Small arms
![](../I/5130_026_40_mm_Gewehraufsatz_97_zum_Sturmgewehr_90.jpg.webp)
![](../I/8.6mm_Scharfsch%C3%BCtzengewehr_04.jpg.webp)
![](../I/Pr%C3%A4zisionsgewehr_04.jpg.webp)
![](../I/LMG_05.jpg.webp)
Weapons marked in bold are considered personal equipment of the soldier, who is responsible for their well-functioning and were required to keep them at home until the end of the military service (unless living near an external border of Switzerland).[1] In 2010, the regulation that allowed members of the Swiss militia to keep their assigned personal weapon in their home was amended, and now allows members of the militia to voluntarily deposit their issued firearm in an armory.[2] Between brackets is the number of such weapons in personal equipment as of 31 January 2009.[3] Swiss Army knives are also issued, but are not considered weapons.
Individual weapons
- Sturmgewehr 90 assault rifle + bayonet (200,000)
- Sturmgewehr 07 assault rifle (Swiss Grenadiers, ARD 10, FSK-17, Military Police)
- Pistole 75 semi-automatic pistol (30,000)
- Pistole 03 semi-automatic pistol (Military Police)
- Glock 17 / 19 semi-automatic pistols (Swiss Grenadiers, ARD 10, FSK-17, Military Police)
- FN Minimi (5.6mm Leichtes Maschinengewehr 05)
- Heckler & Koch MP5A5 submachine gun (Military Police)
- Heckler & Koch MP5SD submachine gun (ARD 10)
- Remington 870 multipurpose shotgun (Mehrzweckgewehr 91)
- Sako TRG-42 8.6 mm anti-personnel sniper rifle (8.6mm Scharfschützengewehr 04) (196)
- PGM Hecate II 12.7 mm anti-materiel heavy sniper rifle (12.7mm Präzisionsgewehr 04) (20)
Crew served weapons
- MG 51 machine gun
- Browning M2 Heavy machine gun (Mg 64)
- 81mm mortar
- 60mm mortar
Other weapons
- Gewehraufsatz 97 40mm grenade launcher (mounted under "Sturmgewehr 90" assault rifle for grenadiers and fusiliers)
- HG 85 hand grenade
- Panzerfaust 3 shoulder-launched recoilless anti-tank weapon
- H&K P2A1 flare pistol (26.5mm Rakp 78)
Vehicles
Tracked vehicles as of 31 December 2019[4] | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Image | Name | Origin | Type | Acquired | Entered service |
In service 2019 | Variant in service |
![]() | Leopard 2A4 | ![]() | Main battle tank | 380 | 1987 | 134[4] | Leopard 2A4 WE |
![]() | CV9030CH | ![]() | Infantry fighting vehicle | 186 | 2003 | 186[4] | |
![]() | M109 | ![]() | Self propelled howitzer | 577 | 1974 | 133[4] | M109 KAWEST |
![]() | BPz3 Büffel | ![]() | Armoured recovery vehicle | 25 | 2004 | 25[4] | |
![]() | AEV3 Kodiak | ![]() | Combat engineering vehicle | 12 | 2010 | 12[4] | |
![]() | Leguan | ![]() | Armoured vehicle-launched bridge | 12 | 2020 | Being delivered[5] | |
![]() | M113 | ![]() | Armoured personnel carrier | 1,475 | 2010 | 311[4] | Various variants in service |
Wheeled vehicles as of 31 December 2019[4] | |||||||
Image | Name | Origin | Type | Acquired | Entered service |
In service 2019 | Variant in service |
![]() | Piranha I Piranha II Piranha III | ![]() | Armoured fighting vehicle | 925 | ? | 924[4] | different variants 32 Piranha V 120mm mortar carriers ordered[6][7] |
![]() | Eagle I Eagle II | ![]() | Armoured reconnaissance vehicle | 154 175 | 1993 1997 | 322[4] | |
![]() | Eagle III INTAFF | ![]() | Armoured artillery command vehicle | 120 | 2003 | 119[4] | |
Eagle V 6x6 TASYS | ![]() | Armoured reconnaissance vehicle | 100 | 2021 | Being delivered[8] | ||
![]() | Duro IIIP | ![]() | Armoured fighting vehicle | ? | ? | 417[4] |
Aircraft
Former equipment
Image | Name | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Entered service |
WFU | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Renault FT | ![]() | Light tank | II | 5 | 1921 | 1944 | |
Vickers Carden Loyd | ![]() | Tank | I, 33, 34, 35 | 8 | 1931 | 1948 | ||
Landsverk 60 | ![]() | Tank | 1 | 1936 | ? | Test | ||
![]() | Panzer39 | ![]() | Tank | LTL-H | 24 | 1939 | 1950 | |
![]() | Renault R35 | ![]() | Light tank | 12 | 1940 | ? | Test | |
![]() | Nahkampfkanone 1 | ![]() | Tankhunter | 1 | 1944 | 1947 | Test | |
![]() | Nahkampfkanone 2 Gustav | ![]() | Tankhunter | 1 | 1946 | 1947 | Test | |
Cruiser tank | ![]() | Tank | RAM Mk.II | 2 | 1947 | 1968 | Test | |
![]() | Panzerjäger G 13 | ![]() | Tankhunter | G13 | 158 | 1947 | 1973 | |
![]() | AMX-13 | ![]() | Light tank | 200 | 1954 | 1980 | ||
![]() | M47 Patton | ![]() | Medium tank | M Pz M47 | 2 | 1952 | 1954 | Test |
![]() ![]() | Panzer 55 Centurion | ![]() | Main battle tank | PZ55 Mk3 | 100 | 1955 | 1991 | |
Tank | Pz55 Mk5 | 100 | 1955 | 1991 | From South Africa | |||
Tank | Pz57 Mk7 | 100 | 1957 | 1991 | ||||
Tank | Pz67 Mk12 | 12 | 1975 | 1991 | From Canada | |||
![]() | Entpannungspanzer56 | ![]() | Recoverytank | Entp Pz 56 | 30 | 1956 | 1991 | 19 sold 1991 to Sweden. |
![]() | brückenpanzer 55 Centurion | ![]() | Armoured bridgelayer | Brü Pz | 2 | 1963 | 1966 | Test |
![]() | Panzer 58 | ![]() | Medium tank | MPz 58 | 12 | 1958 | 1964 | |
![]() | Panzer 61 | ![]() | Medium tank | Pz61 | 150 | 1964 | 1994 | |
![]() | Panzer 68 | ![]() | Tank | Pz68 1Serie | 170 | 1971 | 1999 | all upgraded to AA3. |
Tank | Pz68AA2 | 50 | 1974 | 2003 | ||||
Tank | Pz68/75 | 170 | 1978 | 2003 | ||||
Tank | Pz68 AA5 | 220 | 1988 | 1999 | ||||
Tank | Pz68/88 | 195 | 1993 | 2003 | ||||
![]() | Entpannungspanzer 65 | ![]() | Recovery | Entp Pz65 | 69 | 1970 | 2008 | |
![]() | Brückenpanzer 68 | ![]() | Bridgelayer | Brü Pz68 | 30 | 1974 | 2005 | |
![]() | Panzerkanone 68 | ![]() | Self propelled howitzer | Pz Kan 68 | 4 | 1972 | 1975 | Test |
![]() | Fliegerabwehrpanzer 68 | ![]() | Self propelled AA | B22L | 2 | 1979 | 1980 | Test |
![]() | Zielfahrzeug 68 | ![]() | Training target | 10 | 1974 | 2007 | ||
![]() | Mowag Shark | ![]() | Misc | 3 | 1981 | 1981 | Test:APC, Tank, AAA, Anti Tank | |
![]() | Mowag PiranhaIIIC 10x10 | ![]() | Misc | IIC 10x10 | 1 | 1994 | 1994 | Test |
Leopard 2 Driving trainer | ![]() | Trainer | 3 | 1988 | 2002 | |||
![]() | Universal Carrier | ![]() | Was in use | |||||
MOWAG Scorpion | ![]() | Tested | ||||||
![]() | Mowag Pirat | ![]() | Test, lost against M113 | |||||
![]() | Saurer Tartaruga | ![]() | Test, lost against M113 | |||||
![]() | Mowag armored dummy | ![]() | Was in use | |||||
![]() | Mowag Puma | ![]() | Tested | |||||
![]() | Mowag Shark | ![]() | Tested | |||||
![]() | Mowag Piranha 10x10 | ![]() | Tested | |||||
![]() | Mowag Trojan | ![]() | After delay of order production cancelled |
References
- "Ordonnance concernant l'équipement personnel des militaires" (in French). Federal Authorities of the Swiss Confederation. Archived from the original on 2009-08-27. Retrieved 13 July 2009.
- "Firearms-Control Legislation and Policy: Switzerland | Law Library of Congress". www.loc.gov. Palmer, Edith. Archived from the original on 2018-02-26. Retrieved 2018-03-01.CS1 maint: others (link)
- "Persönliche Ausrüstung-Waffen" (in German). Logistic Base of the Army. Archived from the original on 15 January 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2009.
- "Die Armee in Zahlen". Swiss Armed Forces. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- "Brückenlegesystem" (PDF). Swiss Armed Forces. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
- "Die Armee leistet Aufbauhilfe für den neuen Rüstungsbetrieb des Bundes". Neue Zürcher Zeitung. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
- "Versuche/Verbandsausbildung 2". Swiss Armed Forces. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
- "Mowag to deliver 100 Eagle 6x6 reconnaissance vehicles". MOWAG. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
- "Die Armee in Zahlen". www.vbs.admin.ch (in German). Archived from the original on 2020-02-05. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
- Betriebsanleitung Entpannungspanzer 65 (1972) K + W (Hrsg.): Entpannungspanzer 65 Betriebsanleitung. Nur für den dienstlichen Gebrauch. Auflage von 1972. K + W (Eidgenössische Konstruktionswerkstätten) - Thun(Entpannungspanzer 65 Operating Instructions. Only for official use. Edition of 1972. K + W (Swiss design workshops) - Thun)
- Book Urs Heller: Die Panzer der schweizer Armee von 1920 bis 2008
- Military Museum Full AG Switzerland