Four F/A-18s landed on the A1 in Payerne as part of the “Alpha Uno” exercise – rts.ch

Departing from the Payerne military airfield, the first F/A-18 landed at 9:58 a.m. Around 20 minutes later, after the runway had been checked, the other three landed successively on the asphalt of the A1. They will take off again later in the morning and the exercise will be repeated in the afternoon.

The event is not public. But some 300 guests were invited (150 in the morning, 150 in the afternoon) to follow him from a stand set up for the occasion, at the edge of a beet field and, for security reasons, 300 m away. from the landing site, which was done from the east (Avenches side).

With “Alpha Uno”, the army is training to “decentralize” its activities. Because with a concentration on three air bases – Payerne, Emmen (LU) and Meiringen (BE) – it could be vulnerable in the event of an attack. An exercise of this scale had not been carried out since 1991 in Ticino.

The number of soldiers participating in the exercise was not communicated for operational security reasons. The airspace above the testing ground will be monitored in a standard manner by the control tower of the military airfield. Drones are prohibited.

>> Read also: “Alpha Uno” exercise: the Swiss army cordons off the highway between Payerne and Avenches from Tuesday evening

Highway preparation

To carry out this test, the highway between Payerne and Avenches was closed on Tuesday evening and will remain closed until Thursday morning. The central guardrail was removed and special markings were made on the roadway.

A double forced exit was installed at the junctions of Payerne and Avenches. A diversion route has been put in place for the approximately 25,000 vehicles which travel on this section every day. It passes on the cantonal road through Domdidier, Dompierre and Corcelles-près-Payerne.

This section of the A1 was selected for its direct connection to the Payerne military airfield, but also because it had been prepared to accommodate combat aircraft during its construction in 1995. The volume of traffic, lower than on other Other motorway sections, and the possibility of creating bypasses also explain why it was chosen for this exercise.

Test decentralization

For the record, the Federal Council gave its authorization to the operation at the end of January. This exercise is essential according to the DDPS, because all the resources of the Air Force are currently concentrated on the three bases of Payerne, Meiringen (BE) and Emmen (LU), which makes them vulnerable to long-range weapon systems.

The Air Force therefore uses passive defense measures, including decentralization, to reduce this risk. Decentralization is the ability to quickly distribute troops and equipment throughout the country.

Last exercise in 1991

This exercise is not a first for the Air Force. Comparable tests were carried out ten times during the Cold War. The last highway landing with Swiss Army combat aircraft took place in Ticino in 1991.

The motorway section near Payerne had already been prepared for combat aircraft exercises during its construction in 1995. In addition, it is also suitable due to the traffic volume, the possibilities for arranging bypasses and the connection direct to the Payerne military airfield.

ats/jfe/vajo