Published on 20 October 2025

The Armed Forces are strengthening their space-based capabilities

The Swiss Armed Forces are taking off: from 2026, they will strengthen their capabilities in space by opening a competence centre. The aim is to improve reconnaissance, communications and protection from space. Find out why this affects not only the military, but also everyday life in Switzerland – and how the Armed Forces are going about it.

© VBS/DDPS

In light of growing tension and conflict around the world, space is becoming increasingly important to security policy. This development is also reflected in the accelerating race to use space for commercial and military purposes. Today, military operations are impossible without the use of space, as it has become an integral part of modern warfare and already underpins a wide range of services in everyday life.

In line with federal policy and basic reports

The Swiss Armed Forces have drawn up a Design Concept for Space based on the vision and strategy for the Armed Forces of tomorrow, titled ‘Strengthening Defence Capability’, the 2021 Security Policy Report and the supplementary report from 2022. The proposal is in line with the Federal Council’s Space Policy 2023 and, similarly to the existing basic reports ‘Future of Switzerland’s Air Defence’ (2017), ‘Future of Switzerland’s Ground Forces’ (2019) and ‘Design Proposal for Cyber and Electromagnetic Capabilities’ (2022), it is intended to boost capabilities.

Planned space-based capabilities

The Design Concept for Space sets out the planned performance level for individual sub-capabilities and the basic principles of the policy for space-related capabilities. It also explains how the planned capability level will be reached.

The planned space-based capabilities can be summarised as follows:

• Operational picture Knowing what is happening and could happen in space, and when and how effectively the Armed Forces can be monitored and have their communications intercepted from space.
• Earth observation Intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance from space, including identifying situational changes, providing timely information to Switzerland’s troops and monitoring meteorological and weather conditions. Detecting severe weather events in order to support troops.
• Telecommunications Supplementary, redundant and resilient communications, as well as a decentralised and permanent connection to Switzerland’s troops.
• Precision navigation Continuously verifying the quality and quantity of geopositioning data for Switzerland’s troops and ensuring the accuracy of data for the deployment of military assets.
• Countermeasures Safeguarding troops against space-based reconnaissance, protecting Switzerland’s space-based systems, and disrupting and impairing enemy space-based systems.

New Space Competence Centre

A Space Competence Centre will be created on 1 January 2026 in order to implement the design concept. The centre will primarily be operated as a part-time organisation and incorporated into the Joint Operations Command, within the Swiss Air Force. It will be responsible for the planning, development, training and application of the capabilities.

FAQs on the General Concept on Space (GC Space)

• Why are the Armed Forces developing space-based capabilities?

  Space is an essential element in a country's defence capability. As mentioned in the document ‘Strengthening defence capability’ from August 2023, almost all complex military systems rely on satellites and their services for positioning, time synchronisation, communication, reconnaissance and weather forecasting. That is why 5 of the 40 operational capabilities that form part of the Armed Forces' medium and long-term development were dedicated to space back in 2018 and so fully integrated into the General Concept.

• How long have the Armed Forces been working on this development?

  The first activities to take space into general consideration for military purposes were initiated in 2015 and an initial structure was defined, primarily for conscript military personnel, in 2017. A detailed basic document was drawn up in 2020, which led to an initial research and development phase comprising studies, demonstrators and prototypes as a basis for decision-making. At the same time, steps were taken to recruit and train specialised personnel to prepare the ground for initial operational activities.

• Are the Armed Forces developing exclusively military capabilities?

  No, Armed Forces projects primarily have a dual dimension because they can be used for both military and civilian purposes. Most of the products and services required for military operations also provide useful support for the country's civilian organisations at federal, cantonal and communal level. They can also play an important role in economic and academic activities, creating great potential for cooperation in both the public and private sectors.

• What methods are the Armed Forces using to develop these skills?

  The approach pursued since 2020 has focused on national partnerships, which means harnessing the expertise and skills available at universities and in industry in Switzerland. This also ensures the sovereignty required for the task of defending the country.

  This approach has been consolidated by promoting an ecosystem that combines expertise in space matters with security requirements. It has also led to the launch of projects that meet the Armed Forces’ expectations while offering promising prospects for business and science.

• What role does international cooperation play?

  It plays an important role, as no nation today has sufficient space-based capabilities. For this reason, the pooling of skills and exchange of services has increased significantly in recent years, both bilaterally and multilaterally. The Armed Forces intend to work closely with several nations and international organisations to accelerate the development of its capabilities. One particular project that Switzerland will present at the next ESA Ministerial Council Conference in November involves cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA) through the Space Division of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).

• Why have the Armed Forces created a Space Competence Centre?

  Competence centres are an organisational model that have been used by the Armed Forces for over 20 years and have proven to be a useful means of bringing together the specific aspects of a military function or mission under one roof. The Space Competence Centre established on 1 April follows a similar logic. It has its professional core within the Air Force and will be officially introduced into the Armed Forces structures on 1 January 2026. It will be responsible for the planning, development, training and deployment of the Armed Forces' operational capabilities in the space domain.

• What resources will this Space Competence Centre have at its disposal?

  In terms of personnel, the Space Competence Centre is expected to be staffed by 222 specialist conscripts from 1 January 2026, so these positions will have to be filled: Thanks to the preparatory work carried out over the last ten years, around two thirds of that personnel is currently available. A small core group of professional soldiers will manage the conscript military personnel on a full-time basis and carry out the most demanding tasks.

  As far as finances are concerned, a cost ceiling of CHF 850 million over 12 years was set as part of the Armed Forces’ regular budget, covering both investment and operating costs. The development budget was approved by Parliament in 2024 as part of the Armed Forces dispatch. The first procurement budget should be included in the armaments programme of the 2026 Armed Forces Dispatch.

• Will new military roles be created?

  Yes, it is now possible for any young man or woman to apply to become a space specialist. The service model corresponds to that of the cyber specialists and comprises 38 weeks of training followed by annual refresher courses. The Armed Forces are looking for certain profiles, so a selection process will take place in the first few weeks of recruit school, which is centralised in Payerne. You can already register as a candidate to start recruit school in Payerne during the recruitment process. But it is also possible to apply from any other recruit school. The selection process is expected to take about 12 weeks. The specialists will then be integrated into one of the three companies of the Space Competence Centre once the 38 weeks of training have been completed.

• What role will the space specialists that have been recruited and selected then play?

  The space specialists and their cadres will take on tasks in two areas. Firstly, in software development, because the Armed Forces have for a number of years been developing their own instruments for monitoring the situation in space. Secondly, in the control of ground and space systems, because the autonomous utilisation of operational capabilities requires the independent operation of our own satellites and ground stations. These functions require a high level of training that is continuously adapted to meet needs indicated through new findings.

• When will the Armed Forces be in a position to provide concrete services?

  For several years, the Armed Forces have developed very sophisticated situation monitoring capabilities that enable it to provide concrete services to enable military units to protect themselves, particularly with regard to satellite overflights and the risk of being observed or intercepted from space.

  As regards the other operational capabilities sought, particularly in the areas of Earth observation and telecommunications, political approval for the necessary investments must be awaited before systems that are currently under development can be acquired. Concrete results in this area are therefore expected from 2027 to 2028.

Further information

Links

• Vision and strategy for the Armed Forces of tomorrow