The end comes in 2027 Council of States definitively grounds the Patrouille Suisse
The F5 Tiger aircraft of Patrouille Suisse will only be in the skies until the end of 2027.
Image: sda
The Swiss aerobatic team Patrouille Suisse celebrates its 60th birthday on Thursday. (archive picture)
Image: Keystone
The Patrouille Suisse at an air show in Payerne VD in 2004 (archive image)
Image: Keystone
Performance at an air show in Emmen in September 2006 (archive photo)
Image: Keystone
Patrouille Suisse air show together with an Airbus A320 before the men's downhill race at the Alpine Ski World Championships in St. Moritz GR 2017 (archive image)
Image: Keystone
The Department of Defense wants to end F-5 operations by the end of 2027. (archive image)
Image: Keystone
The Patrouille Suisse has been flying the F-5 Tiger since 1995. (archive picture)
Image: Keystone
Patrouille Suisse was founded as the flagship of the Swiss Air Force on August 22, 1964 (archive image)
Image: Keystone
The F5 Tiger aircraft of Patrouille Suisse will only be in the skies until the end of 2027.
Image: sda
The Swiss aerobatic team Patrouille Suisse celebrates its 60th birthday on Thursday. (archive picture)
Image: Keystone
The Patrouille Suisse at an air show in Payerne VD in 2004 (archive image)
Image: Keystone
Performance at an air show in Emmen in September 2006 (archive photo)
Image: Keystone
Patrouille Suisse air show together with an Airbus A320 before the men's downhill race at the Alpine Ski World Championships in St. Moritz GR 2017 (archive image)
Image: Keystone
The Department of Defense wants to end F-5 operations by the end of 2027. (archive image)
Image: Keystone
The Patrouille Suisse has been flying the F-5 Tiger since 1995. (archive picture)
Image: Keystone
Patrouille Suisse was founded as the flagship of the Swiss Air Force on August 22, 1964 (archive image)
Image: Keystone
The Council of States sealed the end of the Patrouille Suisse aerobatic team on Monday. The costs of continuing to operate the outdated "Tiger" jets are too high. The end is finally in 2027.
The most important facts at a glance
- The Patrouille Suisse era will come to an end in 2027 following a vote by the Council of States.
- The reason: the high cost of operating the aerobatic squadron's outdated F5 "Tiger" jets.
- The money saved would be better spent on modernizing the army.
With this vote, the Council of States sealed the end of the aerobatic squadron: on Monday evening, the Council of States rejected a motion by SVP politician Werner Salzmann by 25 votes to 19. The Bernese politician had argued that operating a minimum number of "Tiger" F-5 fighter jets for the Patrouille Suisse was not a luxury. It was a contribution to Switzerland's defense capability.
A majority thus followed the view of the Federal Council, which said that the "Tigers" were obsolete. Continued operation would take up money that would be better invested in modernizing the equipment.
The Patrouille Suisse will continue to fly until the end of 2027. After that, the jets will be grounded. This was decided by the Federal Council and the army.
The Swiss Armed Forces are currently still using 18 F-5 "Tigers" and own 25 of them, all of which are due to be decommissioned in 2027. According to statements made by the army this spring, the use of PC-7 propeller aircraft for the Patrouille Suisse is being examined.
SDA
