Switzerland Military Forces Patches Swiss Air Force Army

Swiss Air Force Patches Schweizer Luftwaffe Switzerland (1)

Swiss Air Force Patches Schweizer Luftwaffe Switzerland

Swiss Air Force established on 31 July 1914 with volunteers and outdated civilian aircraft.

Nazi Germany became a growing threat on its neutrality. The Swiss Air Force upgraded to a military service branch in October 1936.

Object to support ground troops to repel invasion of neutral Swiss territory and to  defend sovereignty of Swiss airspace.

WWII operated to identify destroy or land and intern crews of Allied or German entering Swiss airspace. Allied navigation errors led to Switzerland suffering bombing raids on its cities.

The Swiss Air Force redesignated to Swiss Air Force and Anti-Aircraft Command Schweizerische Flugwaffe Kommando der Flieger und Fliegerabwehrtruppen after WWII.

1950s defence of possible invasion by the Soviet Union and defence against nuclear warfare.

The end of the Cold War changed focus with the reduced threat of land invasion and defence of Swiss airspace prioritised in 1995. Force modernisation was undertaken and Swiss Air Force and Anti-Aircraft Command was renamed Swiss Air Force Schweizer Luftwaffe 1996.