SVU 19: Security structures in the terror test
Coming soon: During the 52-hour exercise, Switzerland's existing security structures and processes will be put to the test in the event of a prolonged terrorist threat. The Security Network Exercise 2019 will take place from November 11 to 13.
Across Switzerland, some 70 organizations (staffs, federal agencies, cantons, cities and critical infrastructures) will contribute to the staff exercise. The Security Network Exercise (SVU) 19 is to examine how the security organizations involved can manage a crisis situation and how they cooperate in a tense terror threat situation. The scenario is a prolonged terrorist threat through attacks against critical infrastructure, extortionate demands and threatened attacks.
At the media conference at the end of October, Federal Councillor Keller-Sutter pointed out that the exercise was geared to Switzerland's counter-terrorism strategy, which the Federal Council drew up four years ago in cooperation with the cantons. It serves crisis prevention, one of the fields of action of this strategy. In the other strategic fields of action, prevention, repression and protection, the federal government, the cantons and the municipalities have already been active in recent years. However, he said, it goes without saying that the entire Swiss Security Network must be reviewed from time to time in the management of such a crisis with an exercise in this framework. "This is not alarmism," explained Federal Councillor Keller-Sutter, "it is rather about crisis preparedness, as we must do it as soberly as possible."
Preparation with four situation reports
Close cooperation with the Federal Intelligence Service enabled the development of a realistic scenario, which was submitted to the participants in a staggered manner in four situation reports from April 2018 to September 2019. In the six months between each periodic report, participants were able to adjust their planning and strategies, take necessary actions at all levels, and prepare for the next report. New complex situations were added in each report, thus prompting not only the federal government and the cantons but also the operators of critical infrastructure to adapt accordingly within a limited time.
To illustrate the needs of the various partners, SVU 19 was divided into four sub-projects: Civil Protection, Police, Army and Crisis Communications. The exercisers will work at their usual workplaces, while the exercise command will manage the exercise nationwide from an ad hoc operations center in the Bern barracks, with the involvement of all participating organizations.
Result evaluation available in mid-2020
As usual, the most important part of the exercise will take place after its completion: the evaluation of the results, which will be conducted with all participants. The final report, presenting the lessons learned from the exercise, is expected to be published in mid-2020.
Source: Federal Department of Justice and Police
