The Swiss army is taking a positive assessment from the exercise ’25’ made in Austria, despite several accidents. The project made it possible to strengthen its defense capacity but also interoperability with the Austrian and German armies, according to the officials.
Nearly 1,000 soldiers – especially mechanized troops – had been carrying out a four -week instruction service since April 14, the Swiss army recalls on Tuesday. They are back from the troop exercise place in Allersteig, in the Land of Basse-Austria, and the demobilization work began in Thoune (BE).
Cooperation with Germany and Austria has enabled an exchange of experiences and knowledge ‘which benefits the Swiss army,’ writes it. The troop took advantage of a 157 km2 weapon square, ten times larger than the Bure (Ju) and Walenstadt (SG) combat places.
The Benedikt Roos divisional, commander of the land forces and project manager, talks about a unique exercise for 30 years, a training ‘that we cannot do anywhere in Switzerland’, he told Keystone-Ats. Among the main challenges, he cites the unknown land, but also the supply of soldiers with four meals per day due to teamwork.
This rehearsal course abroad cost around 4 million additional francs compared to an ordinary rehearsal course in Switzerland. Other exercises will be planned abroad in the coming years.
-Three accidents
However, three accidents enamelled the exercise in Austria, making one of the soldiers an moderately serious injured and three light injured as well as a civil injured, detailed the press release. Military justice has opened surveys.
For the record, last week, during a night exercise, a armored vehicle rolled on a young Swiss soldier who was in his sleeping bag. The latter, seriously injured in the legs, had to be operated on.
Another 22 -year -old Swiss soldier deployed in Allegsteig struck the car of a 19 -year -old woman crossing a road aboard a tank. Two other soldiers had been hospitalized after poisoning by smoke trying to extinguish a forest fire.
/ATS
