Air traffic controllers in the tower and approach control ensure the safe and fluid handling of air traffic at military airports. They monitor and coordinate arriving and departing aircraft and helicopters as well as taxiing operations.
 
Military air traffic controllers in the tower regulate air traffic that is very fast, on short notice and unpredictable. Military fighter jets, training aircraft and helicopters must be integrated with one another and with any civil air traffic, such as overflights, heavy transport flights and paragliders. The complexity can therefore increase dramatically in a short period of time, which demands rapid comprehension and a high level of concentration. For military approach control, the many different approach types, including radar, military instrument landing system or GPS-based approaches, are an exciting and constantly changing challenge.

When working in the ADDC, air traffic controllers are called "fighter controllers" and use their highly-specialised expertise to support air force pilots in tactical air combat exercises. They also manage all military aircraft in transit flights within Switzerland. Like civil air traffic controllers, fighter controllers monitor the airspace on radar consoles.

The ADDC also helps the air police with the critical task of recognising aircraft with a questionable identity. The visual representation of the air traffic – the so-called "recognised air picture" – is precisely drafted in the ADDC. This visual overview shows the sovereign airspace with all aircraft moving within it, and is produced with primary and secondary radar equipment.

Specific deployment procedures are used in air defence training, such as the protection of a given area during a specified period, e.g. the World Economic Forum in Davos.