Military

Switzerland announces new F-35 training centre at Payerne Air Base

The DDPS and the municipalities agree on the reference values for the introduction of the F-35A at Payerne Air Base. The construction phase at Payerne will begin this month. For Meiringen and Emmen, the submission of building permit applications is scheduled for the end of 2024, and work will begin in 2025.

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The DDPS and the municipalities around the Payerne Air Base have been conducting discussions for some time on the economic development of the aerodrome and the noise pollution that will be caused by the new F-35A combat aircraft. An agreement was reached on the reference values for the rest of the procedure during a meeting, which brought together the President of the Confederation Viola Amherd, the municipalities concerned, the Regional Community of the Broye (COREB) and the Association for the Protection of the Interests of the Municipalities bordering the Aerodrome (ASIC). Noise exposure calculations take into account 4,200 take-offs and landings, and no training flights with F-35As will take place on Monday morning and Friday afternoon.

In February 2022, the DDPS informed the municipalities located around the Payerne Air Base of the results of the noise measurements carried out during the evaluation of the new combat aircraft and presented them with the calculations in December 2023. He then launched a coordination process to prepare for the adaptation of the military sectoral plan. Stakeholders discuss in particular noise calculations and air base regulations. For the calculations, stakeholders agreed on a basis of 4,200 take-offs and landings. This represents about half of current air traffic and corresponds to the forecasts for actual flight service in the February 2022 brief report on noise measurements. Annual fluctuations in actual air movements are not taken into account. By reducing the number of air movements, the Air Force will concentrate the flight service of combat aircraft over time. No regular training with F-35As will take place on Monday morning and Friday afternoon. The noise register and the regulation will be developed on the basis of these values and harmonized with the municipalities. In this regard, the DDPS will continue to review and implement noise-reducing measures where possible.


New training centre with 40 additional work places

In the fall of 2023, the DDPS investigated the application for a building permit for an F-35A training center with a flight simulator and training facility for ground personnel. The Communauté régionale de la Broye (COREB), the Association for the protection of the interests of the Broyard municipalities affected by the Payerne military aerodrome (ASIC) and 14 municipalities had filed preventive oppositions.

Following the agreement reached, the municipalities withdrew their oppositions or confirmed their intention to do so. They allow the start of preparatory work for the construction of the training centre, after the formal approval of the building permit application in October. The buildings should be operational from mid-2028.
About forty workplaces will be created for the training center, which will allow pilots to perform their simulator training flights and ground personnel from the entire Air Force to carry out their basic training.

Much of the real estate infrastructure at Payerne, Meiringen and Emmen air bases can be reused for the F-35A’s engagement, because its dimensions are similar to those of the F/A-18. Adaptations are necessary at the level of the training infrastructure, technical installations and safety devices. For construction measures, Parliament approved a commitment appropriation of 120 million francs as part of the 2022 army message.

Concepts and planning for the infrastructure adaptation to the F-35A have been prepared and verified in detail over the past twelve months in collaboration with the U.S. government’s F-35 project office, the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office, and manufacturers Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney. The planning work for the implementation of the infrastructure has now been successfully completed.