BERN --- In January, the Federal Office for Armaments (armasuisse) handed over the first two of six reconnaissance drones to the Air Force, along with the equipment necessary for their operation. The military aviation authority has issued the required certification for this purpose.
The Air Force can thus begin the development of the operational capabilities of the ADS 15 reconnaissance drone system. The handover of the remaining drones is planned by the end of 2023.
As early as December 2022, the Military Aviation Authority issued the type approval for the airworthiness of the reconnaissance drone system (ADS 15). The certification follows extensive ground and flight testing with the two drones already delivered to Switzerland. These tests made it possible to examine the airworthiness of the ADS 15 in connection with the Swiss infrastructure.
Air Forces can develop operational capabilities
The drone bearing the registration D-11 and D-14 the corresponding equipment, such as ground control stations, sensors and logistics and training equipment, have now been handed over to the Air Force, which can thus begin development operational capabilities on the new system and gradually gain experience. In addition to flight practice, this involves support and logistics services, or even interoperability with other army systems.
Delivery of the remaining drones by the end of 2023
In addition, the third drone (registration D-16) from Israel arrived in Switzerland in October 2022. Since then, it has undergone various tests and should also be handed over to the Air Force by mid-2023. At the same time, armasuisse, in collaboration with the supplier Elbit, will examine other elements of the system and validate them for transport to Switzerland after the tests in Israel.
The remaining three drones are expected to be delivered by the end of 2023, as are two ground control stations, sensors and logistics equipment.
After receiving the equipment, the Air Force will start introducing the professional organization to the system, so that it is able to deploy the drones operationally by mid-2024. Militia officers from Drone Squadron 7 will then undergo professional retraining for the system.
Contractual penalties and additional services due to delays
Due to the delay in the project, armasuisse imposed contractual penalties on the manufacturer Elbit. In addition, additional services for the benefit of Switzerland were agreed during contract negotiations, such as the certification of the de-icing system.
Reconnaissance Drone System 15 (ADS 15)
ADS 15 is an unmanned, unarmed reconnaissance system. It will replace the Reconnaissance Drone 95 system used in the army until the end of 2019, which was based on 1980s technology. The expected service life of the ADS 15 is 20 years. This drone ensures the reconnaissance of locations and targets, but it can also be equipped with other sensors, such as a synthetic aperture radar to obtain an image of the situation on the ground, or for electronic reconnaissance. The drone system can operate by day and night.
The following services can be provided with the ADS 15:
--large area monitoring
--search, identification and tracking of targets
--contribution to situation awareness and to the protection of critical infrastructures and the forces involved.
As with its predecessor, the ADS 95, the users of these drones are military and civilian services, such as cantonal driving staffs, police and rescue bodies or the Border Guard Corps.
In case of defense against a military attack, ADS 15 contributes to the conduct and control of actions on the ground, in particular for fire support. The acquisition includes six drones, including ground components, simulator and logistics.
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