Since its formation, the Swiss Air Force has used a number of different aircraft.
Model | Variant | Image | Origin | Type | Quantity acquired | In service since | Quantity in 2025 | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Combat aircraft | ||||||||
F/A-18 Hornet | F/A-18C | ![]() | ![]() | Multirole combat aircraft | 26 | 1997 [1] | 25 [2] | Acquired with the Armament Programme 1992. [3] 26 ordered, 1 aircraft assembled in the USA, 25 in Switzerland. 1 lost in a crash in 2016. [4] |
F-5 Tiger | F-5E Tiger II | ![]() | ![]() | Light fighter | 98 | 1978 [5] | 18 [2] | Acquisitions: [5]
A part of the fleet was made under licence in Switzerland. Among the 18 operational, 6 are in use with the Patrouille Suisse as of 2025. [6] 60 Sold to the USA: 11 were lost in crashes. [9] |
Transport aircraft | ||||||||
Pilatus PC-6 Porter | PC-6M | ![]() | ![]() | STOL, single-engine, turboprop, transport aircraft | 18 [10] | 1967 [10] | 14 [2] | [10] |
Bombardier Challenger 600 series | Challenger 604 | ![]() | ![]() | VIP transport aircraft, or MEDEVAC | 2 | 2019 [10] | 2 [2] | Aircraft operated by the Federal Air Transport Service. |
VIP transport aircraft | ||||||||
Dassault Falcon 900 | 900EX | ![]() | ![]() | VIP transport aircraft | 1 | 2013 [13] | 1 [14] | Aircraft operated by the Federal Air Transport Service |
Bombardier Global Express | Global 7500 | ![]() | ![]() | VIP transport aircraft | 1 | 2024 [15] | 1 [2] | Aircraft operated by the Federal Air Transport Service. [15] Successor of the Cessna Citation Excel 560XL, ordered in August 2023. [16] |
Trainer aircraft | ||||||||
Pilatus PC-7 | PC-7 WE | ![]() | ![]() | Basic trainer | 40 [17] | 1982 [17] | 27 [2] | 40 purchased and entered service in the 1980s. 9 aircraft used by the PC-7 Team since 1989. Modernisations: |
Pilatus PC-21 | — | ![]() | ![]() | Advanced training aircraft, and | 8 | 2008 [22] | 7 [2] | Orders: Mid-life update contract in 2020 and done by 2024. [24] The A-105 was damaged in 2023. [25] |
F-5 Tiger | F-5F Tiger II | ![]() | ![]() | Conversion training aircraft | 12 | 1978 [5] | 5 [2] | Acquisitions: [5]
A part of the fleet was made under licence in Switzerland. Resale: [5]
|
F/A-18 Hornet | F/A-18D | ![]() | ![]() | Conversion training aircraft | 8 | 1997 [1] | 5 [2] | Acquired with the Armament Programme 1992. [3] 8 ordered, 1 aircraft assembled in the USA, 7 in Switzerland. 3 lost in crashes: |
Special role aircraft | ||||||||
Beechcraft Super King Air | Model 350C Super King Air | ![]() | ![]() | Cartography / mapping aircraft (transport aircraft as secondary role) | 1 | 1993 [29] | 1 [2] | Operated by the air force, for Swisstopo. [30] [31] |
De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter | DHC-6-300 | ![]() | ![]() | Cartography / mapping aircraft (transport aircraft as secondary role) | 1 | 1976 [32] | 1 [2] | Operated by the air force, for Swisstopo. [33] New sensor since 2017, the ADS100. |
Armasuisse test aircraft | ||||||||
Diamond DA42 | DA42 Centaur OPA | ![]() | ![]() | Test aircraft | 1 | 2012 [34] | 1 [35] [2] | Aircraft operated by Armasuisse. [35] Optionally piloted aircraft developed by Aurora Flight Sciences (US company), usable as ISR aircraft. Used for flight trials in profit of the ADS 15 UAV. |
Pilatus PC-6 Porter | — | ![]() | ![]() | Test aircraft (transport aircraft as secondary role) | 1 | 1967 [35] | 1 [35] [2] | Aircraft operated by Armasuisse. [35] Used for transmission trials, for flight data registration. |
Pilatus PC-12 | PC-12M | ![]() | ![]() | Test aircraft (transport aircraft as secondary role) | 1 | 2001 [35] | 1 [35] [2] | Aircraft operated by Armasuisse. [35] Test aircraft for the FLORAKO system. |
Model | Variant | Image | Origin | Type | Quantity acquired | In service since | Quantity in 2025 | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma Swiss designation: TH 89/06 | AS 332M1 | ![]() | ![]() | Transport / utility helicopter | 15 | 1987 | 13 | [36] Acquisitions: MLU by RUAG with the Armament Programme 2006, entered service between 2012 and 2014. [40] [41] |
AS 332M1 Super Puma FLIR Forward looking infrared | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() | SAR helicopter Search and rescue | 0 | 2013 | 1? | MLU by RUAG with the Armament Programme 2006, entered service in 2013. [42] [43] [41] | |
Eurocopter AS532 Cougar Swiss designation: TH 98/18 | AS532UL Cougar Mk1 [44] | ![]() | ![]() | Transport / utility helicopter | 12 | 2002 | 8 | Ordered with the Armament Programme 1998. [45] [37] 2 made by Eurocopter, 10 assembled by RUAG. [46] Losses: MLU by RUAG with the Armament Programme 2018, all 9 delivered by 2022. [49] [50] |
VIP Transport helicopter | 1 | |||||||
Eurocopter EC635 Swiss designation: TH 05 | EC635 P2+ | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | Transport / utility / trainer / SAR | 20 [51] | 2008 [52] | 17 [53] | Purchased with the Armamament Programme 2005. [54] [52] 2 of the 18 made in Germany, 16 assembled by RUAG. [52] [55] A helicopter was lost in 2024. [56] |
![]() | ![]() | VIP Transport helicopter | 2 [53] | Purchased with the Armamament Programme 2005. [54] It is operated by the Federal Air Transport Service. [52] (Registration T-351 / T-352) |
Model | Variant | Image | Origin | Type | Quantity acquired | In service since | Quantity in 2025 | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Combat aircraft | ||||||||
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II | F-35A Block 4 (TR-3 - technological refresh 3) | ![]() | ![]() | Command vehicle | 36 | 2027 [57] (with the batch 18) | 0 | Selected in June 2021 as part of the Air 2030 Programme. [58] The contract was signed in September 2022 [59] . Planned production: [60] The order is part o the batch 18. |
UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) | ||||||||
Elbit Hermes 900 | ADS 15 | ![]() | ![]() | Fixed-wing UAV, ISR Unmanned aerial vehicle, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance | 6 | 2026 | 2 [61] | [62] Successor of the ADS 95. Order to Elbit and RUAG as part of the Armament Programme 2015. [63] First two delivered in 2023 for trial. [64] Order of the last four confirmed in September 2025. [65] |
Programme | Models | Image | Origin | Type | Quantity planned | In service since | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Replacement of the AS532 Cougar and the AS332 Super Puma | AW139 | ![]() | ![]() | Medium transport helicopter | — | 2028 -- 2035 | To be ordered with an Armament Program from 2028-2035. [66] [67] |
AW149 | ![]() | ![]() | |||||
H175 | ![]() | ![]() | |||||
H225M | ![]() | ![]() | |||||
NH90 | ![]() | ![]() |
Model | Variant | Origin | Type | Role | Entered service in (year) | Retired in (year) | Quantity | Notes |
Helicopters | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hiller UH-12 | UH-12B | ![]() | Helicopter | Observation | 1952 | 1962 | 3 | [160] [161] |
Sud-Ouest Djinn | — | ![]() | Helicopter | Light utility | 1958 | 1964 | 4 | [162] [163] |
Aérospatiale Alouette II | — | ![]() | Helicopter | Utility / SAR | 1959 | 2012 | 30 | |
Aérospatiale Alouette III | — | ![]() | Helicopter | Utility / liaison | 1964 | 2010 | 84 | Replaced by the Eurocopter EC635. [165]
14 lost in accidents. [167] |
AS365 Dauphin | SA 365 N1 | ![]() | Helicopter | VIP | 1984 | 2009 | 1 | Aircraft purchased to the standard SA365 N. [168] |
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