Jul 6, 8:02 PM
Switzerland and Austria Discover That Defence Costs Money
Bern and Vienna are coordinating arms purchases, starting with Austrian orders for Skyranger systems from Zurich. A joint air force, however, remains off the menu.
Switzerland and Austria like to present themselves as sensible, sober states, which is fair enough as far as national self-images go. Now they are also discovering a less romantic truth: modern air defence is expensive, and buying it twice, separately, is a luxury even well-heeled countries prefer to avoid. Bundesrat Martin Pfister and Austrian Defence Minister Klaudia Tanner have therefore announced a deeper military procurement partnership, with air defence at its centre.
The immediate signal comes from Austria. It is placing a large order in Switzerland for 30 Skyranger air-defence systems from Rheinmetall Air Defence in Zurich, worth a three-digit million sum. Switzerland plans to acquire the same system for drone defence as well, though only from 2030 onwards. The sequencing is almost charming in its caution: one country buys now, the other files the intention for later.
At a joint press conference, Pfister said that Europe is still only at the beginning when it comes to joint procurement. Tanner, for her part, argued that modern systems cannot really be financed without buying together and that investment will be necessary. The logic is hard to dispute. If states want capable air defence, they will have to pay for it; if they pay together, they may at least pay less. That is not grand strategy. It is arithmetic, which is often the more honest discipline.
The cooperation is not starting from zero. Around 140 bilateral security projects are already under way between the two countries, including joint troop exercises. The new element is the exchange of air situation data, which should allow guided missiles to be detected and engaged earlier, before they cross national borders. In other words: trust, but with radar.
There are, however, limits to the enthusiasm. The idea of merging the two air forces has been rejected as illegal. Both Switzerland and Austria are constitutionally obliged to defend their own airspace, so a joint air force is not on the table. The sovereignty of defence remains intact, at least on paper, while procurement becomes more cooperative. That is probably the most realistic compromise available in Europe: share the bill, keep the flag.
Written by Thomas Nussbaumer thomas.nussbaumer@alpineweekly.com
