Concerns about the state of army projects Army chief Süssli: "I have stopped being too optimistic"

Chief of the Armed Forces Thomas Süssli shares the concerns of the Finance Delegation of the Federal Assembly (Findel) about the state of seven army projects. He has "stopped being too optimistic" about the timetable for the introduction of war logistics, as Süssli said.

Keystone-SDA

27.01.2025, 04:07

27.01.2025, 05:05

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"These projects all have the purpose of strengthening the army 's defense capability," said Süssli in an interview with the "Neue Zürcher Zeitung" published on Monday. We are talking about seven projects. Most of the 200 or so projects are going well, he qualified.

However, strengthening the defense capability is important. This is because the army's equipment is currently "insufficient to credibly demonstrate that we are prepared to defend Switzerland's sovereignty", said the army chief.

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Complexity and supply bottlenecks

The reasons for the problems are manifold: the - sometimes underestimated - complexity of the projects, the high demands on the projects and supply bottlenecks due to the high demand for armaments. In the event of delays, the increase in costs, which can be up to 40 percent, is noticeable, said Süssli.

Major projects require constant planning as well as risk and shortage management. At the moment, the army expects to successfully complete projects such as robust war logistics and airspace surveillance suitable for war. "And what is important: these projects have not incurred any financial losses," said the head of the army.

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War logistics was not originally an issue

A lack of resources and a change in the situation meant that another logistics project was initially implemented instead of war logistics. "We don't have the resources to manage two large logistics projects at the same time," said Süssli.

From 2018, the SAP system R3 was migrated to S/4Hana, as revealed in the interview. SAP is responsible for the entire logistics of the militia and administration, said Süssli. However, the processes date back to a time that was not yet geared towards war logistics. "We first need to carry out a needs analysis and then start a project," said the army chief.

With regard to the introduction, Süssli had "stopped being too optimistic". It is unclear how long the project will take. The introduction of war logistics should "certainly take place as quickly as possible". "We're probably talking about 2035," said the army chief.

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Temporary solution

The new C2Air airspace surveillance system has a deadline. It must be in place by 2029 at the latest, as Süssli said. Until then, the risk is acceptable. Skyguide monitors the airspace on a day-to-day basis, he emphasized. The army would take over in the event of a crisis or war.

"The systems operated by the army for this purpose are old," said Süssli. Personnel and technical measures have been taken to ensure that the existing systems can be operated for a few more years.

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Increased supervision

In December, Findel expressed its concern about the state of several army projects in a letter to Defense Minister Viola Amherd. These included the renewal of a command and communication system and the acquisition of drones.

The Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) published a critical report on the latter project last week. The Finance Committee of the National Council then announced that it would strengthen its supervision of the Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) in accordance with its competencies.