A look at Swiss airspace
What happens when an unknown aircraft penetrates Swiss airspace? The air police service is on the spot at once. Military air traffic control takes over this task together with the air force. They also bring in military aircraft from the air force airfields to their place of deployment and help the military pilots with their tactical air combat exercises.
As with civil air traffic control, military air traffic control also has an aerodrome control and approach control. These operate from the military airfields. Military transit flights within Switzerland are managed like air combat exercises by the air traffic controllers in the military Air Defence and Direction Centre.
Skyguide's fighter controllers assist Swiss air force pilots in tactical exercises.
Military Air Defence and Direction Centre
This has a similar role to the civil area control centres. Military air traffic controllers – fighter controllers – monitor the airspace on radar consoles.
The Fighter Control in the Air Defence and Direction Centre supports air force pilots in tactical air combat exercises. It also manages all military aircraft in transit flights within Switzerland.
Controls above the airspace in our country
The visual representation of the air traffic the “recognised air picture” is drafted in the military Air Defence and Direction Centre. The visual representation of the air traffic is an overview of the sovereign airspace with all aircraft moving within it. It is produced with the help of primary and secondary radar equipment. One talks about "recognised air picture" when all aircraft are definitively identified. The “recognised air picture” gained importance after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Air police service
The military Air Defence and Direction Centre also assists the air force in the daily air police service. This serves to recognise aircraft the identity of which is dubious. The air police service is a core task for the everyday safety of the airspace and is regulated through the relevant acts. Specific procedures of deployment are exercised in the air defence training, such as the defence of a specific area during a specified period (defensive counter air, DCA).
- Airspace sovereignty and safety: a new era of collaboration between skyguide and the Swiss Air Force (PDF format, article of skymag no. 11, November 2005)