Special Forces Command (SFC)

The Special Forces Command (SFC) consists of the forces and staffs of the former Reconnaissance and Grenadier Forces of the Swiss Armed Forces, the MP Special Detachment, the Tactical Medical MP Combat Group as well as parts of the staff for Special Services of Military Security. Thanks to theses professional and militia components, Switzerland is able to perform various and widely ranged interventions.

The various performance spectra of the SFC are:

• Protection and intervention in favour of/for domestic public authorities.
• Special Reconnaissance and Direct Actions to support domestic public authorities as well as the Armed Forces Command (in case of increased levels of menace in Switzerland).
• Intelligence sourcing, advisory service and protection for public authorities abroad.
• Rescue and repatriation of Swiss citizens from abroad.
• Military assistance.
  
  

These tasks are quickly executed by Professional Operation Elements in all situations and without previous notice. In case of a persistent increased level of threat, militia elements are able to support and improve the perseverance as well as the performance in the domains of Special Reconnaissance and Direct Actions. SFC is directly subordinated to the Chief of Staff of the Swiss Armed Forces. This procedure enables the Federal Government to deploy the Special Forces immediately in all situations and to command them via a short commandment hierarchy.

SFC guarantees a certain level of the training as well as the development in the fields of precision shooting (sniper), parachute (jump-)training, survival, helicopter techniques, special explosive penetration techniques, amphibian infiltration techniques, personal security protection and intervention. The Special Forces Training Centre (SFTC) is both training centre for the Special Forces and centre of competence for the entire Swiss Armed Forces.


Commander: Colonel GS Laurent Michaud

Command elements:

• Armed Forces Joint Staff AFJS with the Joint Special Operation Centre (JSOC), profs/militia;
• Staff Special Forces Command, profs/militia.

Operational elements:

• Army Reconnaissance Detachment 10, profs;
• Military Police Special Detachment, profs;
• Grenadier Battalions 20, 30 and 40 (whereby Grenadier Battalion 40 is a reserve element), militia;
• Parascout Company 17, militia.

Support element:

• SFC headquarters company, profs/militia.

Training element:

• Special Forces Training Centre, profs/ militia.