List of aircraft of the Swiss Air Force

Last updated

Since its formation, the Swiss Air Force has used a number of different aircraft.

Contents

Aircraft

Current inventory

A F-5E tiger II flies by at the 2012 Axalp live fire event J-3005.jpg
A F-5E tiger II flies by at the 2012 Axalp live fire event
An F/A-18C taking off from Payerne air base Swiss F A-18 Hornet taking off from Payerne (cropped).jpg
An F/A-18C taking off from Payerne air base
An AS532 Cougar helicopter T-336 Cougar (cropped).jpg
An AS532 Cougar helicopter
AircraftOriginTypeVariantIn serviceNotes
Combat Aircraft
F-5 Tiger II United States light fighter F-5E 18 [1] 6 assigned to the Patrouille Suisse [2]
F/A-18 Hornet United States multirole F/A-18C 25 [1]
F-35 Lightning II United States stealth multirole F-35A 0 [3] 36 on order [1] - F/A-18 replacement
Transport
Pilatus PC-6 Switzerland utility / transport14 [1] STOL capable aircraft
Bombardier Challenger 600 Canada VIP / MEDEVAC CL604 2 [1]
Dassault Falcon 900 France VIP 900EX 1 [4]
Cessna Citation Excel United States VIP 560XL 1 [5]
Super King Air United States Transport/photomapping 300C 1 [1] operated for the Swiss Office of Topography
DHC-6 Twin Otter Canada photomapping 1 [1] operated for the Swiss Office of Topography [6]
Pilatus PC-12 Switzerland FLORAKO test flights / transport1 [7] Armasuisse
Diamond DA42 Twin Star Austria/United States Test aircraft MPP Centaur OPA 1 [8] Armasuisse
Helicopters
Aérospatiale AS 332M1 Super Puma France utility / SAR TH0615 [9]
Eurocopter AS532 Cougar France utility / SAR AS532UL [10] 10 [11]
Eurocopter EC635 France utility / VIP EC635 P2+ 20 [12] 2 configured for VIP
Trainer Aircraft
Pilatus PC-7 Switzerland trainer 27 [1]
Pilatus PC-21 Switzerland primary trainer7 [1]
F-5 Tiger II United States conversion trainer F-5F 5 [1]
F/A-18 Hornet United States conversion trainer F/A-18D 5 [1]
Pilatus PC-9 Switzerland target tug/trainer PC-9/F4 [13]
UAV
KZD-85 Switzerland Target drone 41 [14] [15] in service from 1985
Elbit Hermes 900 Israel surveillance 2 [16] 4 on order [17]

Retired

A Messerschmitt 109 on display at the flight museum in Dubendorf, Switzerland Swiss Messerschmitt Bf 109-E3 top left view.jpg
A Messerschmitt 109 on display at the flight museum in Dübendorf, Switzerland
A vintage Dewoitine D.27 restored to flying condition Dewoitine D26 HB-RAI.jpg
A vintage Dewoitine D.27 restored to flying condition
A de Havilland Venom in a diorama setting at the Flieger-Flab-Museum Swiss Air Force De Havilland DH-112 Mk 4 Venom being serviced.jpg
A de Havilland Venom in a diorama setting at the Flieger-Flab-Museum
The sole example of an AS365 Dauphin in VIP configuration Swiss Dauphin helicopter 1.jpg
The sole example of an AS365 Dauphin in VIP configuration
A BAE Hawk landing at Buochs, Switzerland Hawk Mk66 U-1267 (cropped).jpg
A BAE Hawk landing at Buochs, Switzerland
A Swiss Hawker Hunter Swiss Hawker Hunter (cropped).jpg
A Swiss Hawker Hunter
A EKW C-35 multipurpose biplane EKW C-35.jpg
A EKW C-35 multipurpose biplane
AircraftOriginTypeVariantIn serviceNotes
Combat Aircraft
Mirage III France fighter IIIS 30 [18] retired in 1999
P-51 Mustang United Statesfighter131 [19] in service from 1949 to 1957
Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 Francefighter322 [20] in service from 1939 to 1956
Messerschmitt Bf 109 Germany fighter129 [21] in service from 1939 to 1949
Dewoitine D.27 Francefighter66 [22] in service from 1928 to 1944
Hanriot HD.1 Francefighter16 [23] in service from 1921 to 1930
Nieuport 28 Francefighter15 [24] in service from 1918 to 1930
Potez 25 Francebomber2 [25] in service from 1938 to 1944
de Havilland Mosquito United Kingdombomber2 [26] in service from 1944 to 1954
de Havilland Vampire United Kingdom fighter-bomber 182 [27] in service from 1946 to 1990
de Havilland Venom United Kingdom fighter-bomber F.50/54 226 [28] in service from 1954 to 1984
Hawker Hunter United Kingdom fighter-bomber TF.58 125 [18] retired from service 1994
Reconnaissance
ADS-95 SwitzerlandReconnaissance UAV28 (2crashed)Retired November 2019 [29]
Mirage III Francereconnaissance IIIRS 18 [18] retired in 1999
de Havilland Venom United Kingdomreconnaissance F.50/54 32 [28] in service from 1956 to 1987
EKW C-36 Switzerlandreconnaissance160 [30] in service from 1942 to 1987
Fokker C.V Netherlands reconnaissance64 [31] in service from 1927 to 1954
EKW C-35 Switzerlandreconnaissance160 [32] in service from 1937 to 1954
Häfeli DH-5 Switzerlandreconnaissance80 [33] in service from 1922 to 1940
Häfeli DH-3 Switzerlandreconnaissance109 [33] in service from 1917 to 1939
Häfeli DH-1 Switzerlandreconnaissance6 [33] in service from 1916 to 1919
Piper Super Cub United Statesobservation6 [34] in service from 1948 to 1975
Fieseler Fi 156 Germanyobservation5 [35] in service from 1940 to 1963
Potez 25 Franceobservation17 [25] in service from 1927 to 1940
Dornier Do 27 Germanycommunications3 [18] retired in 2005
Messerschmitt Bf 108 Germanycommunications18 [36] in service from 1938 to 1959
Beechcraft Twin Bonanza United Statescommunications3 [18] in service from 1957 to 1989
Transport
Dassault Falcon 50 France VIP 1 [37] replaced by a Falcon 900EX in 2013
Beechcraft 1900 United States VIP 1replaced by two CL604 in 2020
Learjet 35 United States VIP 2 [18] in service from 1987 to 2006
Junkers Ju 52 Germanytransport3 [38] in service from 1939 to 1981
Beechcraft Expeditor United Statestransport3 [39] in service from 1948 to 1969
Siebel Si 204 Germanytransport1 [40] in service from 1945 to 1955
Messerschmitt M 18 Germanytransport4 [41] in service from 1929 to 1954
Pilatus PC-24 Switzerland VIP PC-24 1 [42] in service from 2019 to 2022
Helicopters
AS365 Dauphin France VIP 1 [43] retired in 2009
Aérospatiale Alouette II Franceutility / SAR 30 [18]
Aérospatiale Alouette III Franceutility / liaison76 [18] replaced by the Eurocopter EC635 [44]
Sud-Ouest Djinn Francelight utility4 [45] in service from 1958 to 1964
Hiller UH-12 United Statesobservation3 [46] in service from 1952 -1962
Trainer Aircraft
BAE Hawk United Kingdomprimary trainer Hawk 66 19 [47] 18 surviving aircraft sold to Finland in 2008 [48]
Mirage III France conversion trainer IIIBS/DS 2/2 [18] retired in 2003
Pilatus P-3 Switzerlandtrainer60 [18] retired in 1995
Hawker Hunter United Kingdomconversion trainer T.68 7 [18] retired in 1994
de Havilland Vampire United Kingdom jet trainer T.55 35 [18] retired in 1990
Pilatus P-2 Switzerlandtrainer55 [49] in service from 1945 to 1981
Beechcraft MQM-61 Cardinal United StatesTarget UAV10retired in 1965
Bücker Bü 131 Germanytrainer94 [50] in service from 1936 to 1971
North American Harvard Canadatrainer IIB 40 [51] in service from 1948 to 1968
Bücker Bü 133 Germany trainer52 [52] in service from 1937 to 1968
Focke-Wulf Germanytrainer1 [53] in service from 1945 to 1953
Nardi FN.315 Italy trainer2 [54] in service from 1944 to 1948
Dewoitine D.26 Francetrainer11 [22] in service from 1931 to 1948
Morane-Saulnier MS.229 Francetrainer2 [55] in service from 1931 to 1941
Nieuport 28 Francetrainer5 [56] in service from 1917 to 1921
UAV
RUAG Ranger ADS 90 Switzerland surveillance ?in service from 1988 to 1999
RUAG Ranger ADS 95 Switzerland surveillance 28in service from 1999 to 2019

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swiss Air Force</span> Air component of the Swiss Armed Forces

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrouille Suisse</span> Swiss military aerobatic team

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurocopter EC135</span> Small utility helicopter

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurocopter EC635</span> Type of aircraft

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flieger Flab Museum</span> Aviation museum in Dübendorf, Switzerland

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