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Aviation and Antaircraft Troops - till 31-12-95
Schweizer Luftwaffe / Forces Aériennes Suisse / Forze aeree svizzere
Swiss Air Force - from 01-01-96

                                        Last update 08-07-2020

Policing Swiss sky was the main peace-time duty during the cold war era.    This was mainly performed by checking civilian aircrafts straying into Switzerland, like the    Balkan AL Tu -134 shown here on 18-11-83; its flightplan had not been submitted; it was    intercepted within 5 minutes from entering Swiss air-space by one Dübendorf AB based    Northrop F-5E and one Mirage IIIRS on alarm on the same base.    An additional duty was to help civilian aircrafts in distress.    Photo: Swiss Defence Department Northro F-5E J-3093 (badge 6 Squadron) and J-3015 (badge  11 Squadron with active AIM-9  Sidewinder

Main experimental/test aircraft was the first Swiss built aircraft, serial J-3001, which, among many other tests, experimented the BAP-100 anti-runway bomb in Switzerland, without
follow-up. Aircraft serial J-3079 was also used as a back-up.

Studies on electromagnetic impulses caused by an atomic explosion were realised at Spiez staring from September 1987 on a rig-mounted Northrop F-5E (serial J-3087). The aircraft
had fully laden tanks, running engines and the pilot in the cockpit during the tests.

In May 1982 three USAF Aggressor pilots from the 527 Squadron spent a week and in xxxxx Israeli pilots trained at Payerne AB together with Swiss Tiger pilots.

                                                                        

The last Dübendorf AB held competition was in August 1995, Emmen AB hosting the competition from the following year in a much smaller frame, named as Swiss Air Force Competition,
being held for the last time in 2006.

Highway emergency strips exercises
Highways were used in Switzerland as emergency recovery strips. Exercises started in 1970, at the time with de Havilland Venoms, later with Hawker Hunters and Northrop F-5s.

Pilots from Aviation Regiment 2 drove the first Tigers (single- and doubleseaters) participating to exercise code named "Tauto" in 1982, on March 24th, with 15 aircrafts (together
with 12 Haker Hunter) landing and taking-offs on an emergency strip near Münsingen. This strip was particularly challenging as the aircrafts had to pass under an roadbridge having
a clearance of only 70 cm!
                                                                            Photo: Swiss Defence Department
                                               Northrop F-5F J-3206 depicted shortly after passing a curve near Münsingen on 24-03-82, a foggy day.

The next edition of "Tauto" was held on 15-10-85 on an strip near Flums by 12 Northrop F-5s coming from Alpnach AB (flown by pilots of the Aviation Regiment 3) and 12 Hawker
Hunters Mk58/58A.
                                                                                   Photo: Franz Wegmann

Tigers participated only to three additional exercises: the first code named "Tutti" on 29-09-88 when 12 Alpnach AB based Tigers took off from a nearby highway strip; eight
Alpnach AB based Tigers participated to exercise "Nastasio" on 16-11-88 on a strip near Sion AB..
                                                             
                                                                         

The last highway exercise, named again "Tauto" was on 14-11-91 near Lodrino AB with the participation of Alpnach AB based Tigers and Mollis AB based Hawker Hunter; aircrafts
took off from the strip after having landed at Lodrino AB and having been towed to the highway.

                                                                                    
                                                                     Winter landscape on 14-11-91 during "Tauto" exercise next to Lodrino AB; 12 Northrop F-5s
                                                          and 12 Hawker Mk58 flown by pilots of the Aviation regiment 3.

The highway emergency strips concept was abandoned in 1995, after the end of the Cold War.

Sweden - exercise Tikas (Tiefflugkampagne Schweden)

  1977
   Due to strict neutrality policity no combat aircraft was allowed abroad until 1977, when this policy was relaxed and the Vidsel range
  (in Sweden, another  strict neutral country) was utilised for tests by 3 GAMD Mirage IIIS as no big  enough range was available in
  Switzerland.

  1981

Vidsel was utilised for the second time between March 24th and June 1981, this time by 2  Dübendorf based  Tigers
and 2 GAMD Mirage IIIS. Live ammunition firings, missile  tests,  employment tactics and operational readiness were
tested.

  1986

Two Northrop F-5E together with two Mirage IIIS were present from 18-03-86, testing Sidewinder missiles and air-to
ground rockets.

 
Last Northrop F-5 deployment to Sweden, lasting three months from mid-March, with the participation of two single-,
seater, two-seaters Tigers and 2 GAMD Mirage IIIS;  AGM-58B Mavericks air-to-ground missiles were launched, Swiss
modified AIM-9-P4 Sidewinder were tested
against  Beech  MQM-107 drones as well as air-to-air shooting against targets  towed by Swedish Saab  J-32B was
exercised.

Air combat excercises abroad

ITALY- SAKA (SArdinia KAmpagne) campaigns

These campaigns started at Decimomannu AB/Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation nato range in 1985 and went on till 1989. The aim was to verify and improve air-to-air combat tacticts.

Deployment details are as follows:

1985

Twenty-two professional pilots went to the NATO base with 5 Northrop F-5E, 1 F-5F and 6 Mirage IIIS between 04-01-85 and 18-01-85; mock combat took place
between Swiss fighters only.

The base was equipped with instrumentation to analyze the combats; the results were estimated as very satisfactory.

1986
      Next round was between 18-08-86 and 30-09-86; 4 Northrop F-5E and 3 F-5F were present together with 6 Mirage IIIS and 1 Mirage IIIDS.

   

training Sidewinder with only an active head.                                                                                     Photo: Friedrich Becker

1988

1989



   Decimomannu hosted between 16-06-89 and 03-07-89 seven Northrop F-5E, three F-5F and five Mirage IIIS.




1990
This exercise was set for June 1990, but was cancelled and replaced by NORKA 1990 at RAF Waddington (see below)

United Kingdom  -  NORKA campaigns (NORdsee KAmpagne)

Training was transferred to the North Sea AMI range, aircrafts were based at RAF Waddington in the United Kingdom; these campaign lasted from 1990 till 2001 (the last year with
the participation of only McDonnell F-18s), giving the possibility to train at a later stage against higher performance, McDonnell F-15s and General Dynamics F-16s, Tornados.

First badge painted undernose on aircrafts participating to NORKA exercises  (1993); participating year was painted sometimes below "Waddington".                       Second badge painted undernose on participating aircrafts;                            participation years (1994 to 2000) were painted below badge.

Details of Tiger participation are as follows:

NORKA 1990
                        Rather a short trial exercise between 16 and 23-11-90, with 5 Northrop F-5E and 1 F-5F participating.

NORKA 1991

  Six F-5E, three F-5F and five Mirage IIIS went to RAF Waddington on 04-10-91 for a successful
  three-weeks period. Pilots (militia and professionals) were exchanged every week; one double-seater was replaced by another one on 18-10-91. The exercise ended
  on 26-10-91.

NORKA 1992
Six Northrop F-5E and 6 Mirage IIIS went to RAF Waddington for the third edition on 05-06-92, remaining till 29-06-92.

NORKA 1993

  Six Northrop F-5E, four F-5F and 6 Mirage IIIS stayed at RAF Waddington beetween  04-06-93 and 28-06-93.

The deployment took place between 03-06-94 and 27-06-94,now standardizised on six Northrop F-5E, four F-5F and six Mirage IIIS. Combat training against foreign
fighters (RAF) was allowed for the first time during this exercise.

                                                   

                                                                     Northrop F-5F J-3203 with ACMI wing pod at Waddington on 08-06-94
NORKA 1995

  Six single-, 4 double-seater F-5s and 6 Mirage IIIS left Payerne AB on June 9th to participate between June 12th and 30th; they exercised against RAF Tornados and
  Harriers. A total of 70 professional and militia pilots were alternatively engaged.

NORKA 1996

 Deployment started on 31-05-96 and ended on 24-06-96, included 8 F-5E, 4 F-5F and 6 Mirage IIIS; two of the Mirage were replaced by 2 F-5E mid-June.

 Three aircrafts remained a few days longer in UK to participate to the Mildenhall Air Fete on 25-05-96; they are depicted hereunder. Of note the red under fuselage tank
 on the tarmac, used for dissimilar air combat training.

 The exercises was from 12-05-97 till 02-06-97 with 8 F-5E, 4F-5F; one additional single-seater joined on 14-05-97. Opponents were RAF Tornado, USAFE F-15 and
  R. Netherlands AF F-16s.

NORKA 1998

 Eight F-5E, three F-5F participated between 29-05 and 22-06-98, together with, for the first time, 3 McDonnell F/A-18C and 3 F/A-18D. They exercised with RAF Tornados and
 R. Netherlands AF F-16s.

 

                    

NORKA 2000
                   This was the last exercise to see the presence in UK of 4 F-5E, 2 F-5F between 22-05-00 and 16-06-00, including pilots from Squadron 19, together with 4 F/A-18C,
                   3 F/A-18D. Partners/opponents were Belgian, French, RAF and USAFE aircrafts.

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Trials were conducted during the 1992/93 repetition courses of the militia Squadron 8 and professional Squadron 1 to use Northrop F-5Es as fighter-bomber using dummy bombs,
rockets and AGM-95B Mavericks, but the idea to operate two Squadrons in this speciality was not pursued due to financial restrictions and partial aircraft unsuitability.

Electronic warfare training, originally carried out by two Haker Hunter T.68, was taken over by two-seater Tigers equipped with Ericsson H/I band A100 Vista 5 system and
Pilatus PC-9 from 1994 with the same system.

Target towing for ground- and air-to-air gunnery was performed by Hawker Hunter Mk.58/Mk.58A till their definitive retirement in 1994. The Northrop F-5E was chosen as a
successor, utilising the remaining of 10 Saab MBV-2S Dart Target that uses a 500m cable to tow an orange target, equipped with a microphone to send information on the
number of hits to the towing aircraft for data analyses. Tests were done between February and the autumn of 1997 from Meiringen AB on two aircrafts, a total of 4 being later
equipped with the system.

Improved communication, at the same level as the newly bought McDonnell F-18s, was reached with the installation of Have-Quick 1 technology radios during the year 2000.

Israel

A particular joynt training, and the first one, had been the hosting at the beginning of 1979 of two Israel pilots on approximately 20 Northrop F-5F and Mirage IIIBS combat
flights; this arised serious diplomatic protests by Arab diplomats.

Austria

Neutral Austria was another destination for exercises: Zeltweg AB housed between May 16th and 20th 1994 three F-5s on exercises against local Saab-35Ö.
The same exercise took place (again based at Zeltweg AB, but mainly against Saab J-35) one year later, from 16-08-95 till 25-08-95, with the participation of 2 single- and
2 double-seaters.

Collaboration between the two countries was renewed when, between the 02nd and the   4th April   2007, two Swiss Northrop F-5F went to Graz AB to exercise with Austrian   Northrop F-5E from the 2nd Staffel and with Saab 105Ö.   Northrop F-5F J-3205 and J-3206 armed with combat training (red) Sidewinders in company   of Saab 105ö   "E" yellow.    Photo: Austrian AF/Zinner

France
Four French Alpha Jets of ETO 02.008 "Nice" came to Sion AB between the 14th and the 16th September 2004 for a visit to the local flying school, training together with
8 Northrop F-5E and F-5Fs. Four Northrop F-5F double-seaters went to Cazaux between the 3rd and the 5th November 2004, reciprocating the French visit.

Training took place at the end of November 2005 between 9 Northrop F-5s (from Staffel/Squadron 6), 10 McConnell F/A-18s and 2 French GAMD 2000.

Five Northrop F-5F visited Cazaux AB advance training base between the 1st and April 4th 2008 following a visit of three Alpha Jet from 11-03-08 till 14-03-08 to Sion AB.

                                                 
                                                          Line-up of Northrop F-5F at Cazaux AB

Switzerland participated with 1 Northrop F-5F and 5 McDonnell F/A-18C to the Electonic Warfare Live Training Exercise (Elite 2007)   exercise from the 14th till the 28th June 2007 from Manching  (Germany), in combination with RAF Tornado GR.4,Greek F-16s,   Norwegian Falcon 20ECM Italian Tornado ECR, Turkish F-4 and F-16,   Polish Su-22, Romanian MiG-21 Lancer and German Tornado ECM.   This was the only F-5 that participated to this exercise; only McDonnell F/A-18C were present to other editions. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Domestic exercises

Dissimilar air combat training between Tigers and Tigers and McDonnel F/A-18s is regularly held, while a well known exercise is the yearly (October) shooting against ground targets
at the Axalp shooting range by Northrop F-5 (plus Patrouille Suisse exhibition), McDonnel F/A-18.

                                                
                Northrop F-5E J-3041 at the Axalp range firing a burst 10-10-03; smoke is just visible coming out of the 20mm cannons.

   

Domestic operations

Radioactivity of the air over Switzerland has been measured for several years using both by single- and double- seaters. Northrop F-5E J-3086 is seen here with two filters under the wings ready for measurement s of vulcanic ash after the eruption of vulcan Eyjafjallajökull in April 2010. Particularly intensive measurement flights were held following the Fukushima (Japan) atomic powerstation explosion in March 2011. Northrop F-5E J-3094 was also active on 29-03-21 from Payerne AB; also used was Northrop F-5F J-3212                                                                                                                                            Photo © Swiss AF

International exercises in Switzerland

All training restrictions were finally dropped with the fall of the iron-courtain from 1990 and the Swiss participation to the NATO Partnership for Peace programme from December 1996.

Orix
The first in-country international exercise took place between 30-03-98 and 02-04-98 in collaboration with the French AF. Northrop F-5E from Staffel 6, based at Turtmann AB, acted as
aggressors operating over bordering French territory in conjunction with Mirage IIIRS reconnaisance aircrafts; in addition, McDonnell Douglas F-18C and Hawks intercepted an important
number of Armée de l'Air Mirage F.1Rs, Mirage F.1Ts, Mirage 2000Ds, Jaguars undertaking reconnaissance and ground-attack flights.

The exercise took again place at Payerne AB in 2010; again Swiss McDonnell F-18C and Northrop F-5E/Fs exercised against 4 Mirage 2000-5F and 1 Mirage 2000B.

Additional French guests in Switzerland (Payerne AB) were two Mirage 2000 from Dijon and four from Orange end November 2005. There were even intensive air combats, seeing
Mirage 2000 fighting alternatively against 10 McDonnel Douglas F-18C or 9 Northrop F-5s.

Year 2015
Northrop F-5s, together with Pilatus PC-9 and helicotpers EC635, participated during this year to the Army exercise as targets in favour of anti-aircrafts missile troops on 24/25 and
38/29/30 September; no live ammunition was used during the exercise.

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SWISS AIRPACE CONTROL / NO-FLY ZONE ENFORCEMENT

Bosnian crisis
Switzerland gave unlimited clearance in 1995/96, for the first time in its history as a neutral country, for NATO transports and tankers overflights of its airspace. Northrop F-5E randomly
intercepted some of the aircrafts to confirm their identity under internationally accepted procedures.

World Economic Forum (WEF) / Davos
This Forum reunits at Davos (Southern Switzerland) representatives of many governments, as well as representatives of the economy world, in January each year. A no-fly zone, under
control of the Swiss and Austrian AF, is established each year since 2003 to avoid terroristic attacks from the air.
Swiss Northrop F-5E have supported the all-weather McDonnel F-18s and operate daylight missions (between 0800 and 1800hrs) since 2005 with live ammunition, armed guns and live,
white painted, AIM-9-P-5 Sidewinders. This is the only moment that Swiss fighters fly with live, armed cannons and missiles. All weather/night, as well as daylight operations are flown
by McDonnell F/A-18C; Pilatus PC-7 take care of slow, low flying aircrafts. The Tigers have operated from Meiringen AB (2005/08/10/13), Payerne AB (2007/11), Sion AB (2006/09/12/14).

Badge WEF 2012   Northrop F-5E J-3076 at Sion AB on 26-01-07 armed with active (white) Sidewinder on the way to the no-   fly zone around Davos.   Photo © Swiss AF