La librería ELEMENTOS

Up to 15 Army Satellites: Switzerland Expands in Space By Othmar von Matt The Defense Department is investing 850 million francs in space—and plans for soldiers to communicate via satellite using special mobile phones. The figures are impressive: Since 1957, 23,406 satellites have accumulated in space. 16,338 orbit the Earth, and 12,960 are operational. In addition, there are 48,700 other objects in orbit. These figures were collected by the Swiss Army, which has been active in space since 2018. It now intends to make a massive investment in its space activities: 850 million francs are earmarked for this purpose through the 2030s. As of January 1, 2026, the Space Competence Center will be officially established, with Colonel Ludovic Monnerat, General Staff, as designated commander. Unofficially, the center has existed since April 1. It currently employs 222 personnel. ⸻ The Ukraine War as a Catalyst The war in Ukraine has demonstrated that space-based communication, reconnaissance, and navigation are now essential. Switzerland, however, is completely dependent on foreign providers and international organizations such as the European Space Agency (ESA). That is set to change. With the help of Swiss companies like Swisscom and RUAG, and universities such as ETH Zurich, EPFL Lausanne, and the University of Bern, the army aims to create Swiss-developed applications, thereby reducing dependence on others. ⸻ Switzerland’s Space Advantage Switzerland has favorable conditions for this space offensive: in terms of public investment, it ranks among the top twenty spacefaring nations worldwide. More than eighty Swiss space companies and start-ups employed around 2,000 people last year. In 2022, they generated a combined revenue of 280 million francs. The core of this initiative will be 10 to 15 satellites. The army wants to develop them in collaboration with other departments and agencies, such as the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation. Switzerland already has Swissto12, a company that builds small satellites. The satellites will not be launched from Switzerland but from Kourou in French Guiana, where the ESA operates Europe’s most important spaceport. Switzerland helps fund it. From there, ESA launches its Ariane and Vega rockets. ⸻ Secure Soldier Communication via “Guardian” The army also plans to let soldiers communicate directly via satellite using the “Guardian” device— a secure Swiss mobile phone developed by RUAG MRO, the army’s technology partner, in close collaboration with Wisekey, a Geneva-based cybersecurity company. For non-sensitive satellite communication, soldiers will even be allowed to use their regular smartphones. ⸻ Five New Operational Capabilities in Space The army plans to develop five key capabilities in orbit: 1. Situational Awareness in Space The army must know two things: 1.What is happening in space? 2.When and how could the army itself be observed or intercepted from space? Thanks to a self-developed app, the army already has a fairly accurate space situational picture. However, it lacks precise satellite position data and wants to become more independent from U.S. Space Command data by building its own sensors and ground stations. 2. Earth Observation This concerns reconnaissance, surveillance, and weather-related monitoring from space. The army plans to launch 10 to 15 satellites into low Earth orbit, capable of flying over areas of interest 10 to 20 times a day. This will allow early detection of situational changes within 500 kilometers of Switzerland, helping plan missions such as deployments of future F-35 fighter jets. 3. Telecommunications The army seeks to establish a resilient satellite communication system that ensures rapid and secure exchanges even during conflicts. Work on the foundational technologies for this system is now beginning.