Alpenland | Air Force

ALPENLAND
—
| Home | Bern | Geography | | Alpine Army | |Cities | Archives | International |
—


—
A L P I N E—A I R—F O R C E
—

ALPEN LUFTWAFFE | FORCES AÉRIENNES ALPINE | FORZE AEREE ALPINE | AVIATICA MILITARA ALPINA
—

Alpine Air Force

Alpen Luftwaffe (German)
Forces aériennes alpine (French)
Forze aeree alpine (Italian)
Aviatica militara alpina (Romansh)

---

--------------------

---

Founded

1958

Country

Cascadla

Preceded by

Helvetic Air Force
Austrian Air Guard

Role

Aerial warfare
Aerial defense

Headquarters

Dübendorf, State of Zürich

Leadership

Commander of the Air Force

Divisional General Dachs Jäger

Deputy Commander of the Air Force

Brigadier Warin Herrmann

Overview

The Alpine Air Force is a small yet well-equipped branch of the Alpine Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to defend Alpine airspace and maintain the national sovereignty of the Alpenland. It was founded by the unification of the Helvetic Air Force of Switzerland and the Air Guard of Allied-occupied Austria.

The Alpine Air Force has around 400 aircraft in service, most of which are Swiss WWII-era fighters such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and North American P-51 Mustang. The Alpine Air Force also operates a small number of transport and training aircraft.

The Austrian Air Guard under the Allied-occupied government operated around 50 de Havilland Vampires by the end of the occupation in 1958 but had to return them to the Royal Air Force under the terms of the Alpine State Treaty.

The Swiss Air Force was looking to replace its WWII-era fighters with modern jets. The British-built Hawker Hunter was selected and an initial 100 were ordered in 1958. Around 80 Messerschmitt Bf 109s were retired upon completion of the initial order. A further 50 Hawker Hunters were ordered due to the unification of Alpenland. Currently, the FFA P-16, a prototype ground attack jet fighter, is in development as a domestically-built replacement for the remaining piston and turboprop-driven fighters in the Alpine fleet.

The Alpine Air Force's mission to defend Alpine airspace and maintain national sovereignty is rooted in Switzerland's tradition of neutrality, as well as post-WWII Austria's newfound anti-war sentiment. Due to both Switzerland and Austria's strategic location in the heart of Europe, they have historically been vulnerable to attacks and invasions from neighboring countries. As a result, the Alpine government has invested heavily in its military, including its air force, to ensure the country's safety and independence.

While the Alpine Air Force is small compared to others around the world, it is known for its high level of fleet readiness and proficiency. Its pilots and ground crews are highly trained and skilled, and the aircraft in service are maintained to a high standard.

Equipment

Since its formation, the Alpine Air Force has used a number of different aircraft.