In order to be able to adjust our web offer optimally to your needs, we use analysis tool. With it, your activities on the website are recorded in an anonymous form. Therefore, no personal data are transmitted or stored. If you do not agree to this, you can stop the data collection and still use this website without restrictions. You will find further information on our page Legal framework.

Brigadier General Werner Epper

Swiss Armed Forces

Themen

Themes	Description
Armed Forces Digital Media Centre AFDM	The Armed Forces Digital Media Centre AFDM, located in Bern, is the competence center for products and services in the fields of education and communication.
Air2030 – Protecting our airspace
Anti-aircraft live fire warnings
Aircraft live fire warnings
Air Force live fire warnings	Here you find the combat aircraft cannon firing dates and times for all four air force firing ranges, as well as the firing dates and times for ground-to-air defence cannons at the S-chanf shooting range.
Air policing missions	To maintain air sovereignty, the Swiss Air Force carries out "passive" (airspace monitoring operations and daily "active" air policing missions (interventions).
Armed Forces and the environment
Armed Forces Staff	The Armed Forces Staff supports the Chief of the Armed Forces in carrying out leadership duties. It is responsible for implementing political directives and military strategic instructions. Furthermore, it ensures the development, planning, resource allocation and management of the armed forces, and is responsible for the entrepreneurial leadership of the defence sector. The Armed Forces Staff manages the operational level of Training and Education, Operations and Support according to directives given.
Alpnach Air Base	Alpnach Air Base is the Swiss Armed Forces and Swiss Air Forces' center of expertise for air transport.
Armed Forces College AFC	Die Höhere Kaderausbildung (HKA) ist der anerkannte Hauptanbieter für die Führungs- und Stabsausbildung der Milizkader ab Stufe Einheit sowie für die Ausbildung der Berufsoffiziere (BO) und Berufsunteroffiziere (BU) der Armee. Als Kompetenzzentrum für militärische Führungsausbildung und militärwissenschaftliche Forschung erbringt die HKA ihre Leistungen schwergewichtig für die Armee, in Partnerschaft mit den anderen Trägern der Nationalen Sicherheitskooperation und zivilen Bildungsorganisationen.
Armed Forces Personnel
Armed Forces Command Support Organisation

Themes	Description

Themes	Description
Call-up dates (Refresher courses)	Online search of refresher course dates
Chief of the Armed Forces	Lieutenant General Sussli is responsible for the leadership and the development of the Swiss Armed Forces. He heads the Department’s defence sector and is directly subordinate to the head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS), Federal Councillor Viola Amherd.
CHEAF	The Centre for Historic Equipment of the Armed Forces (CHEAF) bears overall responsibility for the Swiss Armed Forces’ combined collections of historic equipment. It is charged with documenting the armed forces’ history and technological developments over the past 200 years.
Cadre	Taking responsibility, leading teams, aiming for a cadre function? If your professional vision goes in this direction, you are ideally prepared with military leadership training.
CS bde 41/SCS	The command support brigade 41/SCS (CS Br 41/SCS) is the brigade of the information and communication technology in the Swiss army. The brigade maintains the communication network of the army, the command support installations of the government as well as mobile systems for the electronic warfare.

Themes	Description
Diploma Course of Studies

Themes	Description
Exercises and activities
Economy and Armed Forces
Environment

Themes	Description
Flight Safety	The Flight Safety Division (FSH) focuses on the policy, Military Aviation Safety Management, Investigation, training, videos, as well as other information and publications.
FLIR / Super Puma (TH06, PU FLIR)	Informationen über den Transporthelikopter für Spezialeinsätze FLIR / Super Puma (TH06, PU FLIR) der Schweizer Luftwaffe.
F/A-18 Swiss Hornet Solo Display Team	Hauptmann Nicolas «Vincent» Rossier ist F/A-18-Pilot der Fliegerstaffel 17 und wurde per Airshow-Saison 2017 Hornet-Display-Pilot der Schweizer Luftwaffe.

Themes	Description
General information about military service	In this section you will find information and details of who to contact about general issues regarding your military service. The information is intended for conscripts, recruits and service personnel of all ranks.

Themes	Description
Humanitarian Mine Action

Themes

Description

Inactive duty

Information about your obligations, activities and possibilities when not on active duty.

International Relations

To fulfil their role as an important security policy instrument, Switzerland's armed forces also rely on international exchanges. These exchanges must be continuously and coherently managed and adjusted to ensure they are in the interests of the country and of the armed forces. The resulting areas of activity focus on preserving these interests and on carrying out Switzerland's international obligations.

Themes	Description

Themes	Description

Themes	Description
Language training

Themes	Description
Military peace support	International peace support is one of the three missions of the Swiss Armed Forces. Currently approximately 280 men and women from the rank of first private to major general are serving for the cause of peace in 18 countries.
Military Power Revue	International security policy and military affairs
Military Disaster Relief
Military careers	Leadership training in the Swiss Armed Forces: valuable – modern – recognized
My first steps towards military service	Now it’s your turn! Now that you’ve turned 18 you have a unique opportunity to serve in the Armed Forces or in the Civil Protection Organisation.
Meiringen Air Base
Military Aviation Authority (MAA)	The MAA in its regulatory role provides, through coordination with FOCA, the framework within which the Air Force and other state players in military aviation can evolve as freely, efficiently and safely as possible.
More about Parouille Suisse	Founded in 1964, the Patrouille Suisse is the official Swiss Air Force jet aerobatic display team. With its shows, both at home and abroad, it has become a trademark for Switzerland, showing the capability, precision and readiness of the Swiss Air Force. Its goal is to inspire the public and spark young people’s interest in all the aviation professions.

Themes	Description

Themes	Description

Themes	Description
Peace support	International peace support is one of the three missions of the Swiss Armed Forces. Currently approximately 280 men and women from the rank of first private to major general are serving for the cause of peace in 18 countries.
Professions	As an employee of the Armed Forces, you can expect progressive working conditions, flexible working arrangements and an attractive salary system.
Psycho-Pedagogical Service of the Army	The Psycho-Pedagogical Service of the Army offers confidential, professional and independent support to all military personnel.
Patrouille Suisse	Founded in 1964, the Patrouille Suisse is the official Swiss Air Force jet aerobatic display team. With its shows, both at home and abroad, it has become a trademark for Switzerland, showing the capability, precision and readiness of the Swiss Air Force. Its goal is to inspire the public and spark young people’s interest in all the aviation professions.

Themes	Description

Themes	Description
Reporting unexploded ordnance	Unexploded Ordnance Centre of Switzerland

Themes	Description
Swiss Bureau	The Swiss Bureau provides information about: locations and phone numbers of troops on duty; military postal codes for field post.
Schools and the Armed Forces
Soldiers	This section provides future and current members of the armed forces on active service a wide range of information about their military service.
Swiss Armed Forces professions	As an employee of the Armed Forces, you can expect progressive working conditions, flexible working arrangements and an attractive salary system.
Swiss Peace Supporter	Review of the Swiss contributions to international peace operations in cooperation with the DDPS, FDFA, FDF
Shooting range bulletin	Die Schweizer Armee bemüht sich, wo immer möglich, Ihre Waffenplätze für eine zivile Nutzung zugänglich zu machen. An erster Stelle steht ganz klar die Nutzung durch die Truppe. Waffen- und Schiessplätze gelten grundsätzlich als Sperrgebiete, jegliches Betreten und Befahren ist verboten.
Special Forces Command (SFC)	The Special Forces Command (SFC) is an instrument of the operational and strategic command echelons for safeguarding security policy interests in all situations.
Swiss Air Force displays
Super Puma Display Team	Die speziell ausgebildeten Piloten des Super Puma Display Teams zeigen mit ihrer Vorführung die Dynamik und einen Teil der Fähigkeiten des Super Pumas. Dazu fliegen sie einen ganz normalen Super Puma oder Cougar, der alltäglich im Einsatz ist.
Swiss Air Force	The Swiss Air Force is responsible for military operations in Switzerland's airspace. Its tasks include airspace protection (maintaining air sovereignty and air defence), aerial transport and air-based intelligence gathering.

Themes	Description
The history of the Swiss Army	The origins of the Swiss Army date back to the late Middle Ages. The militia army founded on general national conscription is relatively young by comparison.
THE PC-7 TEAM	The PC-7 TEAM showcases the high level of training and performance of both the Swiss Armed Forces and the Swiss Air Force by flying dynamic, elegant and precise manoeuvres. With their culture of commitment and discipline, the pilots prove to the public that they master the challenges of top-level military flying.
The Swiss Air Force Professional Aviator Corps	The permanent Surveillance Wing was established by Federal Council decree on 28 May 1941, with the main task of guaranteeing neutrality in Swiss Air Space. At the end of 2005, the Surveillance Wing, rich in history and tradition, was disbanded with the introduction of air base structures as part of the armed forces reforms and transformed into the Professional Aviator Corps. However, the spirit of the Surveillance Wing has lived on in the hearts of its professional military aviators - essential if they are to meet the great challenges of an unpredictable future.

Themes	Description
Unexploded ordnance

Themes	Description

Themes

Description

World Economic Forum (WEF)

In 2024, the armed forces will once again support the civilian authorities in the canton of Graubünden in carrying out security tasks in connection with the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF). Parliament approved the deployment of a maximum of 5000 soldiers on these civil affairs support operations from 2022 until 2024. The 2024 WEF meeting will be held from 15 to 19 January, the army's mission lasts from 09 to 25 January.

Themes	Description

Themes	Description

Themes	Description

Themes	Description
35mm anti-aircraft gun

Current
- Close
  Messages / Reports
  
  Events
  
  Swiss Air Force displays
  
  Exercises and activities
  
  Shooting range bulletin
  
  Air Force live fire warnings
  Information for the media
  
  Operations and missions
  
  Military Disaster Relief
  
  Military peace support
  Publications
  
  Swiss Peace Supporter
  
  Topics
  
  Humanitarian Mine Action
  
  International Relations
  
  Flight Safety
  
  Air policing missions
  
  Unexploded ordnance
  
  Air2030 – Protecting our airspace
  
  Armed Forces and the environment
  
  Economy and Armed Forces
  
  Schools and the Armed Forces
Service
- Close
  
  What can we do for you?
  
  The questions to the army are manifold. To help you reach your goal more quickly, you will find help and information here about the most frequently asked topics that are not directly related to...
  
  Armed Forces Digital Media Centre AFDM
  
  The Armed Forces Digital Media Centre AFDM, located in Bern, is the competence center for products and services in the fields of education and communication.
  
  Contacts / Addresses
Media
My military service
- Close
  
  Coronavirus
  
  Information for members of the armed forces
  
  Call-up dates (Refresher courses)
  
  Online search of refresher course dates
  
  Inactive duty
  
  Information about your obligations, activities and possibilities when not on active duty.
  
  My first steps towards military service
  
  Now it’s your turn! Now that you’ve turned 18 you have a unique opportunity to serve in the Armed Forces or in the Civil Protection Organisation.
  
  General information about military service
  
  In this section you will find information and details of who to contact about general issues regarding your military service. The information is intended for conscripts, recruits and service...
  
  Soldiers
  
  This section provides future and current members of the armed forces on active service a wide range of information about their military service.
Careers
- Close
  
  Cadre
  
  Taking responsibility, leading teams, aiming for a cadre function? If your professional vision goes in this direction, you are ideally prepared with military leadership training.
  
  Military careers
  
  Leadership training in the Swiss Armed Forces: valuable – modern – recognized
  
  Swiss Armed Forces professions
  
  As an employee of the Armed Forces, you can expect progressive working conditions, flexible working arrangements and an attractive salary system.
The Swiss Armed Forces current page
- Close
  
  Swiss Armed Forces - Organisation and Structure
  
  The Defence sector is an organisation of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport DDPS.
  
  Senior staff officers
  
  Senior staff officers are career officers in the rank of brigadier, major general or lieutenant general.
  
  Organisation
  
  Military authorities and offices
  
  Chief of the Armed Forces
  
  Lieutenant General Sussli is responsible for the leadership and the development of the Swiss Armed Forces. He heads the Department’s defence sector and is directly subordinate to the head of the...
  
  The history of the Swiss Army
  
  The origins of the Swiss Army date back to the late Middle Ages. The militia army founded on general national conscription is relatively young by comparison.

Sub-navigation

Context sidebar

Brigadier General Werner Epper

Deputy Commander Air Force

Brigadier General Epper is the Deputy Commander of the Air Force.

As Deputy Commander of the Air Force, he is responsible for the Professional Aviator Corps, the Corporate Development, the Combined Air Force Systems, the aviation law, the Doctrine, the Planning, Projects, Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E), International Relations, the Integral Security and Safety and the Emergency Management.

Career


2018	Deputy Commander Air Force (DCAF)
2014	Air Force Chief of Staff
2009	Brigadier General, Commander Aviation Training Unit 31
2002	Colonel GS, chief of staff (COS) Air Base Brigade 32
2000	Lieutenant colonel GS, deputy chief of staff (DCOS) air base brigade staff
1999	Assistant chief of staff operations (ACOS) air base brigade staff
1996	Commander of an air base battalion
1993	General Staff officer operations in the Air Force Staff, from 1995 with the rank of Major GS
1992	Captain General Staff (GS), head of support in the Air Force Staff
1989	Captain, commander of an aviation company

Functions


2006	Vice director and course director at the Military Academy at ETH Zurich (MILAC)
2004	Commander Basic and Advanced Aviation Training
2002	Head of Research and Development Military Doctrine in the Armed Forces Planning Staff
2000	Air War College, Maxwell AFB Montgomery, Alabama, USA
1998	Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to the Commander Air Base Brigade
1995	Class teacher for ground personnel at air force officers school
1991	Deputy commander and instruction officer, air force recruit school
1986	Military Academy, joined the Instruction Corps as an Air Force officer