The Swiss Air Force put on an impressive show at an annual air show in the Alps amid heightened military tensions in Europe.
The famous neutral country has an air force of about 20,000 active personnel and yesterday showed its air prowess near the top of Axalphorn Mountain.
Tiger F5 aircraft, F-35s, Cougar helicopters and special forces delivered a highly qualified and synchronized performance for spectators over a stunning backdrop at the annual Axalp show.
The landlocked nation has traditionally avoided major European conflicts such as WW I and WWII, but earlier this summer they infuriated Russia.
In August, Russia said Switzerland cannot act as an intermediary in negotiations with Ukraine because Moscow no longer considers it a neutral country.
Switzerland mirrored nearly all of the sanctions the European Union had imposed on Russia for its military intervention in Ukraine.
The Swiss Air Force put on a stunning show at an annual air show after unusually joining Europe in sanctioning Russia over the summer
Russia said the neutral nation could not mediate talks with Ukraine earlier this year because of their sanctions
Tiger F5 aircraft, F-35s, Cougar helicopters and special forces are highly trained at the annual Axalp show
Switzerland mirrored almost all sanctions the European Union had imposed on Russia for its military intervention in Ukraine
Five Tiger F5 aircraft of the Patrouille Suisse perform a routine at the Swiss Army’s annual air show
Fighter planes deploy flairs as they fly, creating a dramatic scene over the Swiss Alps in annual public display
Pilots of a Swiss Air Force Cougar helicopter wave their hands to greet the audience at the annual air show
A Parascout with a Swiss flag descended from a helicopter and soared above the crowd despite the cloudy sky
The origins of the demonstration date back to World War II, due to the threat of a possible Nazi invasion.
The Air Force’s two-day event shows its prowess in an alpine environment to a public audience.
Spectators were able to watch Tiger F5 planes drop from the Patrouille Suisse during the annual air show.
A Swiss Air Force Cougar helicopter also dropped flares and demonstrated its maneuverability, including an exercise where Special Forces were evacuated.
The event will be held at the Ebenfluh shooting range near the top of the 7,614-foot (2,321 m) high Axalphorn Mountain.
A Swiss Air Force Cougar helicopter pictured shortly after deploying flares and performing an aerobatic maneuver
A multirole fighter aircraft of the Italian Air Force F-35A (6-01) performs in front of thousands of spectators
A record number of Swiss said in July that the government should increase defense spending, maintain a fully equipped army and build closer relations with NATO.
Neutrality in Switzerland remains high – 89 percent of the population say they still prefer it this summer
Live rounds are used in the show. Pictured: A target is hit by shots from an F/A-18 Hornet jet
Switzerland has, in fact, been neutral for over 500 years, but a summer poll shows that citizens increasingly believe this is not the best way to protect their country.
A record number of Swiss said in July that the government must increase defense spending, maintain a fully equipped military and build closer relations with NATO.
It comes after Sweden and Finland broke their own decades-long neutrality agreements to join NATO, saying Putin’s war in the east prompted them to do so.
Overall, support for neutrality in Switzerland remains strong – 89 percent say they are in favor of it – but that figure has fallen for the first time in two decades.
In January, before Russia invaded Ukraine, 96 percent of Swiss were in favor of neutrality — meaning support fell by eight percent in just six months.
An unprecedented 52 percent are now in favor of their country getting ‘closer to NATO’, although only 27 percent actually want to join.
The new study was conducted by the Swiss Military Academy and the Center for Security Studies, which surveyed 1,000 people between May and June.
The results were compared with a similar study published in January.
Surveys also found that 80 percent of Swiss now prefer their country to have an army, while a record 74 percent say it should be ‘fully equipped’
Switzerland has one of Europe’s largest reserve forces and is still in national service, but maintains only a small standing army supported by aging tanks, armored vehicles and aircraft.
Nineteen percent of Swiss now want their governments to spend more money improving that power, up from just seven percent at the beginning of this year.