First reconnaissance drones arrive in Switzerland
The first two drones of the reconnaissance drone system (ADS 15) will undergo flight testing in the coming months. Handover to the Swiss Air Force is planned for 2022 at the latest.
Via sea and land routes from Israel, the first two drones and ground control stations of the new reconnaissance drone system (ADS 15) arrived in Emmen on April 21 and 26, 2022. The first drone has already been assembled by a team of specialists, according to Armasuisse. After an initial functional check, it will be ready for further flight testing. A second drone (enrollment D-14) is to be delivered in the next few days.
Replacement for drone systems from the eighties
The ADS 15 is an unmanned and unarmed reconnaissance system that is to replace previous reconnaissance drone systems in the Swiss Armed Forces, which, according to Armasuisse, now correspond to the state of the art of the 1980s. The new type is expected to have a service life of up to 20 years.
If required, the ADS 15 can be equipped with additional sensors such as a radar for detecting the ground situation and sensors for night operations. The drone is suitable for monitoring large areas and for searching and tracking targets, as well as for protecting critical infrastructure. The intended user groups are military and civilian corps such as the cantonal command staffs of the police, rescue services and border guards.
The first functional tests of the two drones are now intended to create the conditions for Armasuisse's teams of experts to begin ground and flight testing. The initial tests will include taxiing on the runway at Emmen airfield, followed by a maiden flight in mid-2022. It is planned to hand over the two drones to the air force in the course of the second semester.
Source: Armasuisse
