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]
Bombardier Global 7500 Canada VIP 1 [4]
Dassault Falcon 900 France VIP 900EX 1 [5]
Cessna Citation Excel United States VIP 560XL 1 [6]
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 [7]
Pilatus PC-12 Switzerland FLORAKO test flights / transport1 [8] Armasuisse
Diamond DA42 Twin Star Austria/United States Test aircraft MPP Centaur OPA 1 [9] Armasuisse
Helicopters
Aérospatiale AS 332M1 Super Puma France utility / SAR 15 [10] TH89 prior to modernisation, TH06 after modernisation [11]
Eurocopter AS532 Cougar France utility / SAR AS532UL [12] 10 [13] 12 purchased, 1 lost in 2011, [14] 1 lost in 2016. [15]

TH98 when purchased, 9 modernised to standard TH18 [11] [16]

Eurocopter EC635 Germanyutility / VIP EC635 P2+ 19 [17] 2 configured for VIP

1 lost in 2024 [18]

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]
UAV
KZD-85 Switzerland Target drone 41 [19] [20] in service from 1985
Elbit Hermes 900 Israel surveillance 2 [21] 4 on order [21]

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 [22] retired in 1999
P-51 Mustang United Statesfighter131 [23] in service from 1949 to 1957
Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 Francefighter322 [24] in service from 1939 to 1956
Messerschmitt Bf 109 Germany fighter129 [25] in service from 1939 to 1949
Dewoitine D.27 Francefighter66 [26] in service from 1928 to 1944
Hanriot HD.1 Francefighter16 [27] in service from 1921 to 1930
Nieuport 28 Francefighter15 [28] in service from 1918 to 1930
Potez 25 Francebomber2 [29] in service from 1938 to 1944
de Havilland Mosquito United Kingdombomber2 [30] in service from 1944 to 1954
de Havilland Vampire United Kingdom fighter-bomber 182 [31] in service from 1946 to 1990
de Havilland Venom United Kingdom fighter-bomber F.50/54 226 [32] in service from 1954 to 1984
Hawker Hunter United Kingdom fighter-bomber TF.58 125 [22] retired from service 1994
Reconnaissance
ADS-95 SwitzerlandReconnaissance UAV28 (2 crashed)Retired November 2019 [33]
Mirage III Francereconnaissance IIIRS 18 [22] retired in 1999
de Havilland Venom United Kingdomreconnaissance F.50/54 32 [32] in service from 1956 to 1987
EKW C-36 Switzerlandreconnaissance160 [34] in service from 1942 to 1987
Fokker C.V Netherlands reconnaissance64 [35] in service from 1927 to 1954
EKW C-35 Switzerlandreconnaissance160 [36] in service from 1937 to 1954
Häfeli DH-5 Switzerlandreconnaissance80 [37] in service from 1922 to 1940
Häfeli DH-3 Switzerlandreconnaissance109 [37] in service from 1917 to 1939
Häfeli DH-1 Switzerlandreconnaissance6 [37] in service from 1916 to 1919
Piper Super Cub United Statesobservation6 [38] in service from 1948 to 1975
Fieseler Fi 156 Germanyobservation5 [39] in service from 1940 to 1963
Potez 25 Franceobservation17 [29] in service from 1927 to 1940
Dornier Do 27 Germanycommunications3 [22] retired in 2005
Messerschmitt Bf 108 Germanycommunications18 [40] in service from 1938 to 1959
Beechcraft Twin Bonanza United Statescommunications3 [22] in service from 1957 to 1989
Transport
Pilatus PC-24 Switzerland VIP PC-24 1 [41] in service from 2019 to 2022
Dassault Falcon 50 France VIP 1 [42] replaced by a Falcon 900EX in 2013
Beechcraft 1900 United States VIP 1replaced by two CL604 in 2020
Learjet 35 United States VIP 2 [22] in service from 1987 to 2006
Junkers Ju 52 Germanytransport3 [43] in service from 1939 to 1981
Beechcraft Expeditor United Statestransport3 [44] in service from 1948 to 1969
Siebel Si 204 Germanytransport1 [45] in service from 1945 to 1955
Messerschmitt M 18 Germanytransport4 [46] in service from 1929 to 1954
Helicopters
AS365 Dauphin France VIP 1 [47] retired in 2009
Aérospatiale Alouette II Franceutility / SAR 30 [22] retired around 2012
Aérospatiale Alouette III Franceutility / liaison76 [22] replaced by the Eurocopter EC635 [48] by 2010
Sud-Ouest Djinn Francelight utility4 [49] in service from 1958 to 1964
Hiller UH-12 United Statesobservation3 [50] in service from 1952 -1962
Trainer aircraft
Pilatus PC-9 Switzerland target tug/trainer PC-9/F12 [51] 4 were used in the last years, [51] retired in 2022 [52]
BAE Hawk United Kingdomprimary trainer Hawk 66 19 [53] 18 surviving aircraft sold to Finland in 2008 [54]
Mirage III France conversion trainer IIIBS/DS 2/2 [22] retired in 2003
Pilatus P-3 Switzerlandtrainer60 [22] retired in 1995
Hawker Hunter United Kingdomconversion trainer T.68 7 [22] retired in 1994
de Havilland Vampire United Kingdom jet trainer T.55 35 [22] retired in 1990
Pilatus P-2 Switzerlandtrainer55 [55] in service from 1945 to 1981
Beechcraft MQM-61 Cardinal United StatesTarget UAV10retired in 1965
Bücker Bü 131 Germanytrainer94 [56] in service from 1936 to 1971
North American Harvard Canadatrainer IIB 40 [57] in service from 1948 to 1968
Bücker Bü 133 Germany trainer52 [56] in service from 1937 to 1968
Focke-Wulf Germanytrainer1 [58] in service from 1945 to 1953
Nardi FN.315 Italy trainer2 [59] in service from 1944 to 1948
Dewoitine D.26 Francetrainer11 [26] in service from 1931 to 1948
Morane-Saulnier MS.229 Francetrainer2 [60] in service from 1931 to 1941
Nieuport 28 Francetrainer5 [61] 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

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Hoyle, Craig (2023). "World Air Forces 2024". FlightGlobal . Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  2. ↑ "Northrop F-5E Tiger II". 2 May 2014. Archived from the original on 28 July 2016.
  3. ↑ Jennings, Gareth (20 September 2022). "Switzerland signs for F-35s". janes.com. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  4. ↑ "Le Global 7500 est arrivé à Payerne !". www.avianews.ch (in French). 20 December 2024. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  5. ↑ "Dassault Falcon 900EX". .lw.admin.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  6. ↑ "Cessna 560 XL Citation Excel". .lw.admin.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  7. ↑ "Federal Office of Topography". swisstopo.admin.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  8. ↑ "Pilatus PC-12". vtg.admin.ch. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  9. ↑ "Diamond DA42 Centaur OPA". vtg.admin.ch. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  10. ↑ "Aérospatiale AS 332M1 Super Puma (TH06)". vtg.admin.ch. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  11. 1 2 "Cougar helicopter handed over | RUAG". RUAG. Archived from the original on 14 April 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  12. ↑ "AS532 Cougar". .lw.admin.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  13. ↑ "Eurocopter AS532UL Cougar Mk 1". vtg.admin.ch. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  14. ↑ Ranter, Harro. "Accident Eurocopter AS 532UL (TH98) Cougar T-341, Wednesday 30 March 2011". asn.flightsafety.org. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  15. ↑ Ranter, Harro. "Wirestrike Accident Aérospatiale AS 532UL Cougar T-338, Wednesday 28 September 2016". asn.flightsafety.org. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  16. ↑ "Last Cougar helicopter transferred from the modernization program to Swiss Air Force". Vertical Mag. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  17. ↑ "Eurocopter EC635". vtg.admin.ch. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  18. ↑ "Swiss army helicopter crashed in Alpnachstad". 7 November 2024.
  19. ↑ "KZD 85 Drones-cibles 1985". vtg.admin.ch. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  20. ↑ "Kleinzieldrohne 1985". lw.admin.ch. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  21. 1 2 Keystone-SDA/ac (29 April 2022). "Switzerland takes delivery of controversial Israeli surveillance drones". SWI swissinfo.ch. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "World Air Forces 1987 pg. 92". Flightglobal Insight. 1987. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  23. ↑ "P-51 Mustang". old.hermannkeist.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  24. ↑ "Morane Saulnier". old.hermannkeist.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  25. ↑ "Messerschmitt Me 109". old.hermannkeist.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  26. 1 2 "Dewoitine". old.hermannkeist.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  27. ↑ "Hanriot HD-1". old.hermannkeist.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  28. ↑ "Nieuport". old.hermannkeist.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  29. 1 2 "Potez L-25". old.hermannkeist.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  30. ↑ "de Havilland Mosquito". old.hermannkeist.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  31. ↑ "de havilland Vampire". old.hermannkeist.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  32. 1 2 "DH Venom". old.hermannkeist.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  33. ↑ "Das ist die neue Aufklärungsdrohne der Schweiz".
  34. ↑ "EKW C-36". old.hermannkeist.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  35. ↑ "Fokker C.V". old.hermannkeist.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  36. ↑ "EKW C-35". old.hermannkeist.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  37. 1 2 3 "Häfeli". old.hermannkeist.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  38. ↑ "Piper Super Cub". old.hermannkeist.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  39. ↑ "Fieseler Fi 156". old.hermannkeist.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  40. ↑ "Messerschmitt Bf 108", Ausgemusterte Flugzeuge (in German)
  41. ↑ "Pilatus delivers PC-24 to Swiss government". FlightGlobal. 19 February 2019.
  42. ↑ "Falcon-50". old.hermannkeist.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  43. ↑ "Junkers Ju 52", Ausgemusterte Flugzeuge (in German)
  44. ↑ "Beechcraft Expeditor", Ausgemusterte Flugzeuge (in German)
  45. ↑ "Siebel Si 204", Ausgemusterte Flugzeuge (in German)
  46. ↑ "BFW-18]", Ausgemusterte Flugzeuge (in German)
  47. ↑ "Dauphin 2 SA365N", Ausgemusterte Flugzeuge (in German)
  48. ↑ "Swiss air force gets final EC635". flightglobal.com. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  49. ↑ "SO. 1221S Djinn". hermannkeist.ch. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  50. ↑ "UH-12". old.hermannkeist.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  51. 1 2 "Pilatus PC-9". vtg.admin.ch. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  52. ↑ "Decommissioning of the PC-9". RUAG. 14 April 2023. Archived from the original on 25 May 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  53. ↑ "World Air forces 1995 pg. 57". Flightglobal Insight. 1994. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  54. ↑ "BAE Hawk 66". old.hermannkeist.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  55. ↑ "Pilatus P-2". old.hermannkeist.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  56. 1 2 "Bücke". old.hermannkeist.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  57. ↑ "American Harvard". old.hermannkeist.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  58. ↑ "focke-wulf-fw-44f". old.hermannkeist.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  59. ↑ "Nardi FN.315". old.hermannkeist.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  60. ↑ "Morane Saulnier MS-229". old.hermannkeist.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  61. ↑ "Nieuport C.1". old.hermannkeist.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2015.

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