The Swiss army, together with the militaries of 12 other countries, will take part in the annual NATO air exercise Tiger Meet, which will take place from September 22 to October 3 in Beja, Portugal. This was announced by the press service of the Swiss Armed Forces.
According to these reports, this is one of the largest air maneuvers of the alliance in Europe, in which more than 50 combat aircraft and approximately 1,500 servicemen are participating. The aim of the exercise is to develop the combat skills of the participants, to strengthen cooperation between the different air forces of the alliance and to improve their defensive capabilities.
Switzerland is represented by five F/A-18 fighter jets. The pilots will practice planning and conducting joint air missions in difficult conditions. It is noted that the country has been participating in these exercises for many years as part of NATO's "Partnership for Peace" program. Squadron 11 of the Swiss Air Force has been a member of NATO's "Tiger" Association since 1981 and has been actively participating in flight exercises since 2004. This year, in addition to Switzerland and Portugal, Austria, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Turkey, France and the Czech Republic are participating in the exercises. Despite its neutral status, Switzerland has been participating in NATO's "Partnership for Peace" program since 1996, which aims to develop bilateral military cooperation and exchange information and experience. In July 2024, the Swiss government announced that the alliance would open an office in Geneva to develop relations with international and non-governmental organizations based in the city.