Italian and French jets escorted hijacked plane because Swiss AF was off work
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Re: Italian and French jets escorted hijacked plane because Swiss AF was off work
#2This is stupid Swiss bashing : Switzerland is such a little country surrounded by peaceful neighbors that they don't need to maintain a costly air-force in peace times.
I think they have agreements with France to cover their air space and probably Italy too judging by the article.
Re: Italian and French jets escorted hijacked plane because Swiss AF was off work
#3This is stupid Swiss bashing : Switzerland is such a little country surrounded by peaceful neighbors that they don't need to maintain a costly air-force in peace times. I think they have agreements with France to cover their air space and probably Italy too judging by the article.
Maybe I am the only one that appreciates the cheese and the mountains, but Switzerland also has banks — and everybody likes that.
Last year's scenario for the annual Swiss large-scale military exercise was something along: "Eurozone has collapsed, France is after cold-hard cash, and comes to invade Geneva to rob the banks".
Also, Switzerland has launched the "Ilana" project to reach 24/7 airspace coverage in 2020. Maybe they decided they needed it after all?
Finally, one of the main reasons for the restricted flight hours is the nuisance due to the noise, which has nothing to do with peace time or bilateral military agreements.
I do not encourage Swiss bashing — Belgians have always been my favourite. However, get your facts right before calling something "stupid".
Re: Italian and French jets escorted hijacked plane because Swiss AF was off work
#4This is stupid Swiss bashing : Switzerland is such a little country surrounded by peaceful neighbors that they don't need to maintain a costly air-force in peace times. I think they have agreements with France to cover their air space and probably Italy too judging by the article.
You can't even circle over the Swiss Geneva airport without passing over France though.
Re: Italian and French jets escorted hijacked plane because Swiss AF was off work
#5This is stupid Swiss bashing : Switzerland is such a little country surrounded by peaceful neighbors that they don't need to maintain a costly air-force in peace times. I think they have agreements with France to cover their air space and probably Italy too judging by the article.
While you may be right about this being "stupid Swiss bashing", the swiss do have a considerable army for such a small country which they should not have to maintain either.
Re: Italian and French jets escorted hijacked plane because Swiss AF was off work
#6This is stupid Swiss bashing : Switzerland is such a little country surrounded by peaceful neighbors that they don't need to maintain a costly air-force in peace times. I think they have agreements with France to cover their air space and probably Italy too judging by the article.
I don't see this as bashing -- it's incredibly civilised and rational, and a sign of a country that is relaxed about its position in the world. If only we were all like that.
Re: Italian and French jets escorted hijacked plane because Swiss AF was off work
#7This is one major advantage of the EU. Not everybody needs to prepare for every eventuality, since their neighbors have their back.
Articles like this are helpful now, because the Swiss (well at least some of them), seem to have forgotten what benefits their close cooperation with the EU brings.
Re: Italian and French jets escorted hijacked plane because Swiss AF was off work
#8This is stupid Swiss bashing : Switzerland is such a little country surrounded by peaceful neighbors that they don't need to maintain a costly air-force in peace times. I think they have agreements with France to cover their air space and probably Italy too judging by the article.
While you may be right about this being "stupid Swiss bashing", the swiss do have a considerable army for such a small country which they should not have to maintain either.
Switzerland hasn't been invited for 800 years precisely because it does have a considerable army (to wit: every able-bodied male), not for want of would-be conquerors.
A famous exchange between German and Swiss military leaders:
"We have 400,000 troops ready to invade. You have but 200,000 civilian militia. What will your people do when ours arrive?"
"Shoot twice and go home."
No invasion.
Re: Italian and French jets escorted hijacked plane because Swiss AF was off work
#9There may also just be a cultural difference. Dramatic & tragic as it is, a hijacked commercial plane is not an existential threat to a nation. "9/11" aside, most hijackings are resolved peacefully as fuel runs out and perpetrators discover surrender is the only survivable option. Viewed as a police problem and not a military concern, I can see those in charge deciding it wasn't worth pouring enormous resources into for little more than an irrelevant show of force.
This in contrast to the US's increasing approach of militarizing absolutely every criminal transgression down to growing the wrong kind of plant.
Cultural choices.
Re: Italian and French jets escorted hijacked plane because Swiss AF was off work
#10This is one major advantage of the EU. Not everybody needs to prepare for every eventuality, since their neighbors have their back. Articles like this are helpful now, because the Swiss (well at least some of them), seem to have forgotten what benefits their close cooperation with the EU brings.
Switzerland is neither in the EU, nor in the NATO.