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Brigadier General Marco Knechtle

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
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 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.

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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.

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Diploma Course of Studies

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Exercises and activities
Economy and Armed Forces
Environment

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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.

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Humanitarian Mine Action

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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.

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Language training

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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 Disaster Relief
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.

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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.
Payerne Air Base	La Base aérienne de Payerne s'est continuellement développée, pour devenir aujourd'hui, la principale Base et le fer de lance des Forces aériennes suisses. Elle offre directement 230 places de travail pour garantir les opérations aériennes et la maintenance des aéronefs et des systèmes. A ces emplois viennent s'ajouter ceux de la Base logistique de l'Armée et de Skyguide.
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.

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Reporting unexploded ordnance	Unexploded Ordnance Centre of Switzerland

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Schools and the Armed Forces
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.
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 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 Bureau	The Swiss Bureau provides information about: locations and phone numbers of troops on duty; military postal codes for field post.
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.
Swiss Air Force displays
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.
Swiss Peace Supporter	Review of the Swiss contributions to international peace operations in cooperation with the DDPS, FDFA, FDF

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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.
Top level sport in the Swiss Armed Forces

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Unexploded ordnance

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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.

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35mm anti-aircraft gun

Current
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  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
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  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.
  
  Swiss Bureau
  
  The Swiss Bureau provides information about: locations and phone numbers of troops on duty; military postal codes for field post.
  
  Contacts / Addresses
  
  Reporting unexploded ordnance
  
  Unexploded Ordnance Centre of Switzerland
Careers
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  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
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  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.

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Brigadier General Marco Knechtle

Deputy Commander of Territorial Division 4

A conscript officer, Brigadier General Knechtle is the Deputy Commander of Territorial Division 4.This division is responsible for supporting civilian authorities in exceptional situations. It comprises the cantons of Appenzell-Innerrhoden, Appenzell-Ausserrhoden, Glarus, St. Gallen, Schaffhausen, Thurgau and Zurich. Territorial Division 4 is responsible for one staff battalion, four infantry battalions, one engineer and one rescue battalion.

Brigadier General Knechtle acts on behalf of the Commander of Territorial Division 4 in all of his functions when the latter is absent.

Career


2023	Brigadier General, Deputy Commander of Territorial Division 4
2019	Head of Cantonal Liaison Staff for Appenzell Innerrhoden in Territorial Division 4 Staff
2016	Colonel GS, Chief of Readiness in the Territorial Division 3 Staff
2012	Lieutenant Colonel GS, Commander of a mountain specialist division
2006	General Staff Officer in the Land Forces Staff
2005	Major GS, General Staff Officer in the staff of a territorial region
2000	Captain, Commander of a light infantry company

Functions


2023	Principal, St Antonius baccalaureate school in Appenzell
2018	Principal and secondary school teacher, St Antonius baccalaureate school in Appenzell
2015	Vice principal and secondary school teacher, St Antonius baccalaureate school in Appenzell
2014	Secondary school teacher, St Antonius baccalaureate school in Appenzell
2006	Backoffice employee, The Pacific Society AG in Appenzell Meistersrüte
2003	Contracted soldier
2001	UN military observer in the Golan, United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO)
2000	Contracted soldier