Swiss army creates drone centre as unmanned warfare expands

Switzerland is building a dedicated military structure for drones as their presence over sensitive sites increases. The Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection, Sport announced the creation of a centre of excellence for unmanned systems on August 27, 2026, at the Thun parade ground in the canton of Bern.

Defence Minister Martin Pfister, Chief of the Armed Forces Benedikt Roos and armasuisse Director Urs Loher presented the initiative as a coordinated effort to strengthen Switzerland's capacity in drones and robotics. The move responds to the expanding role of unmanned aircraft in hybrid conflicts and to a rise in drone flights over Swiss military facilities and critical infrastructure.

The centre will connect operational requirements from troops with the technical expertise of armasuisse and research capabilities in universities and industry. Its remit will include development, testing and integration, giving the army a permanent mechanism for evaluating rapidly evolving systems.

The announcement also places drone capability within Switzerland's wider security debate. Unidentified aircraft over military areas have already drawn public attention, while the country relies on infrastructure that includes transport, energy and communications networks. The source does not identify the operators of the reported flights or provide a total number of incidents.

The new centre is designed to shorten the distance between an idea and a deployable military capability. It will bring together the army, armasuisse, universities and private companies to develop and test unmanned systems before integrating them into military operations.

That structure matters because drones combine several fields that traditionally sit apart: aviation, sensors, software, communications, electronic protection and battlefield tactics. The centre is intended to give troops a direct role in defining what they need, while allowing technical specialists to adapt equipment through testing and research.

The Defence Department says the partners will “develop new solutions together, test them and make them available to the army quickly”. The statement does not name participating universities or companies, nor does it specify the systems that will be developed first.

Armasuisse, the federal office responsible for defence procurement and technology, will provide expertise alongside military users. This gives the project a Swiss institutional focus, linking procurement decisions to operational experience and domestic research. It also signals that the army expects unmanned technology to require continuing adaptation rather than a single equipment purchase.

The centre's work will cover more than aircraft. The Defence Department describes its remit as unmanned systems, a category that can include drones and robotics. Specific platforms, budgets and the centre's location were not provided in the announcement.

A drone battalion is scheduled to join the Swiss army from 2028, supported by a specialised recruit school. The battalion will focus on reconnaissance and defence, giving unmanned systems a formal place in the army's force structure.

The planned unit represents a shift from treating drones as individual tools to organising personnel, training and missions around them. Reconnaissance can provide commanders with aerial observation, while defensive tasks may involve detecting, tracking or responding to hostile unmanned aircraft. The source does not state how many soldiers, drones or support vehicles the battalion will contain.

The recruit school will prepare military personnel for this specialised work. Training will have to cover more than flight controls. Operators need to understand surveillance, communications, mission planning and the limits imposed by Swiss law. The announcement gives no timetable for the school's opening beyond the army's 2028 target for the battalion.

The DDPS also says relevant regulations and the legal framework will be adapted. That process will determine how the army uses unmanned systems, how missions are authorised and how responsibilities are divided during operations near civilian areas or protected infrastructure.

For Switzerland's militia army, the creation of a dedicated school also raises practical questions about recruitment, instructor capacity and the retention of technical skills. None of those details has yet been published.

The army's timetable reflects a security environment in which unmanned aircraft now feature in hybrid conflicts and appear over protected Swiss locations. The DDPS says sightings and flights over military and critical infrastructure are increasing, although it has not released an incident count or identified those responsible.

That uncertainty shapes the task facing the new centre and battalion. Switzerland must be able to distinguish lawful activity from surveillance or other hostile conduct, assess threats and respond without disrupting civilian airspace. The announcement confirms a future reconnaissance and defence role, but does not disclose the sensors, counter drone systems or rules of engagement that will be used.

The project also places more responsibility on cooperation between military authorities and civilian specialists. Universities and industry will contribute research and technical knowledge, while the army defines operational needs. The legal changes announced by the DDPS will be central to how those capabilities are used around airports, energy facilities, communications networks and other sensitive sites.

The next milestones are the establishment of the centre, the development of its partnerships and the preparation of the recruit school. By 2028, Switzerland intends to have a dedicated drone battalion. Until then, the army will need to turn a broad strategic decision into trained personnel, tested equipment and clear operating procedures.