Switzerland talks about replacing part of its Cougar and Super Puma with heavy lift helicopters
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Depuis les années 1980, les Forces aériennes suisses exploitent 15 hélicoptères de manoeuvre Super Puma, lesquels ont été rejoints, en 2002, par 12 Cougar. Or, selon un document du Département fédéral de la Défense [DDPS], ces appareils – qui assurent des missions de transport et de sauvetage – devront être remplacés à l’horizon 2029/30. D’où un réflexion actuellement en cours pour déterminer les modalités du renouvellement de ces deux flottes.
If the purchase of new fighter aircraft-in this case 36 F-35A-is the subject of much debate, the same may be true of the replacement of these helicopters …. Except that the opponents of this project are not exactly the same …
In fact, according to Radio Télévision Suisse [RTS], the DDPS is planning to acquire some 15 devices in the same category as the Super Puma and Cougar … As well as some heavy lift helicopters [HTL], such as Boeing's CH-47 Chinook and Sikorsky's CH-53 Super stallion. The unit cost of such devices would be in the order of 100 million Swiss francs [approximately 96 million euros].
For the Swiss Air Force, these heavy transport helicopters would be used, inter alia, in United Nations peacekeeping operations. And it is for this reason that, on the Swiss political scene, the left is a priori in favour of it.
In any case, Socialist deputy Pierre-Alain Fridez told the RTS that such a purchase would be justified. "having Chinook type helicopters is interesting to transport equipment and troops in large quantities […] . So it makes sense outside our country to be more effective, "he said, before recalling that one of the" constitutional "objectives of the Swiss army is to" promote peace ".
However, opinions are more circumspect among the elected representatives of the Swiss right. A member of the Liberal Radical Party and of the Council of States [Upper House of the Swiss Parliament, Ed.], Olivier Français considered that aircraft of the Super Puma catagorie are "clearly sufficient for the missions" currently carried out by the Swiss Air Force. However, the ad hoc rental of heavy lift helicopters could be considered, he said.
In any event, the debate is still far from settled, as a decision on whether to purchase such helicopters should not be taken before 2024.
Photo: by kuhnmi-Cougar Suisse, CC by 2.0
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