Armour In The Alps: Switzerland’s Inventory Of AFVs

Oryx

19 August 2023 at 19:44

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

It might come as a surprise to many that Switzerland continues to operate a significant number of armored fighting vehicles (AFVs), even in the aftermath of the Cold War and the seemingly remote possibility of facing an invasion from any (neighboring) nation. In spite of the decommissioning of most bunker systems and a considerable reduction in its air force, the Swiss Armed Forces are engaged in a continual process of modernising their capabilities. This involves both the acquisition of new equipment and the enhancing of existing AFVs through (limited) upgrade programmes.

An intriguing aspect is that, despite possessing a fleet of 30 F-18 and 18 F-5 fighter aircraft, the Swiss Armed Forces has been without an air-to-ground capability following the retirement of its last Hawker Hunters in 1994. In lieu of this capability, the Swiss Army has relied upon a significant number of M109 self-propelled guns to provide fire-support to ground units. With the introduction of the F-35A from 2027 onwards, Switzerland is set to regain a limited air-to-ground capability through the acquisition of a limited quantity of GBU-53 and GBU-54 guided bombs. [1]

The importance of ground-based fire support assets remains unquestionable within the Swiss Army. The force currently maintains an impressive fleet of 133 M109 KAWEST WE SPGs, underscoring the continued emphasis on this capability. Looking ahead, there are plans to replace the M109s with 155mm RCH-155s or Archers in the coming decade. Alongside the SPGs, the Swiss Army has ordered a total of 48 Piranha-V-based 120mm Mörser 16 self-propelled mortars (SPMs). The inventory of the Swiss Army does not include multiple rocket launchers (MRLs).

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Swiss Army swiftly increased its existing equipment orders. Notably, the order for the 120mm Mörser 16 SPM was expanded from 32 to 48. The acquisition of Pionier Panzerfahrzeug 21 AEV was increased from 60 to 84. Switzerland's acquisition of AFVs is marked by an increasing preference for wheeled platforms over tracked ones, a choice that aligns well with the country's extensive road network. Nonetheless, the Swiss Army's 110 Panzerjäger 90 tank destroyers were decommissioned in 2022 without a direct replacement.

As iconic structures like the Festungskanone BISON and Centi Bunkers have become relics of the past, Switzerland has adopted a strategy prioritising swift force deployment across the country instead of relying on bunker systems. This transformation is evident in decisions such as the scrapping of nearly a thousand M113 APCs in favour of modern wheeled alternatives like the GMTF Duro IIIP. Whatever future steps will be taken to further enchance the Swiss Armed Forces' firepower and effectiveness, the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine is likely to ensure a substantial Swiss Army for many decades to come, ensuring the country's readiness in an ever-changing global landscape.

This list attempts to list all AFV types currently in service with the Swiss Armed Forces. This list only includes vehicles and equipment currently confirmed as active, placed in operational reserve, or on order by the Swiss Armed Forces. Switzerland employs various abbreviations to denote upgrades and service life extensions for its military capabilities, including Combat Upgrade (KAWEST), Value Maintenance Programme (WE), and Extension of Use (NUV). Radars, (armoured) trucks and jeeps are not included in the list.

(Click on the vehicle or equipment type to get a picture of them)

Tanks (205)

134 Panzer 87 WE
71 Panzer 87 (In storage)

Infantry Fighting Vehicles (186)

186 CV9030CH (To be upgraded and kept in service until 2040)

Tracked Armoured Personnel Carriers (90)

Wheeled Armoured Personnel Carriers (930)

513 Radschützenpanzer 93 Piranha IIC (Eight in service with the Militärpolizei)
417 GMTF Duro IIIP

Infantry Mobility Vehicles (4+)

4 Eagle V 4x4 EOR (Used by bomb disposal units)
(?) LAPV Enok

Reconnaissance Vehicles (228)

69 Eagle II 4x4 - Aufklärungsfahrzeug 93/97 (To be upgraded and kept in service until the early 2030s)
59 Eagle III 4x4 - Fire-Control SKdt INTAFF (To be upgraded and kept in service until the early 2030s)
100 Eagle V 6x6 - Aufklärungsfahrzeug TASYS (To enter service from 2023 onwards)

Light Strike Vehicles (10)

10 AGF Serval LAUF (To be replaced)

Military Engineering Vehicles And Equipment

Communications Stations (64)

Command Vehicles (310)

Self-Propelled Mortars (48 Systems On Order)

48 120mm Mörser 16 (To enter service from 2024 onwards)

Self-Propelled Artillery (133)

133 155mm M109 KAWEST WE (To be replaced from the early-2030s onwards)

Towed Anti-Aircraft Guns (48)

48 35mm Flab Kan 63/90 ''Oerlikon GDF'' (To be replaced)

Static SAM Systems (5 Fire Units On Order)

5 MIM-104E Patriot PAC-3 Fire Units [Range: 70+km] (On order. Will replace the Rapier SAM system retired in 2022)

[1] Switzerland – F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft and Weapons https://www.dsca.mil/press-media/major-arms-sales/switzerland-f-35-joint-strike-fighter-aircraft-and-weapons

Putting Down The Pen: Reflecting On Oryx’s Journey

Oryx

By: Anonymous

15 August 2023 at 15:04

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Dear everyone,

I had always imagined 'penning' this farewell someday. You see, the journey of Oryx took a different path than its intended purpose. What Oryx was meant to be initially was a remedy for my teenage boredom at the age of 17. Back then, I was still in high school, and the manageable workload along with my recent departure from playing football left me with an abundance of spare time. An interest in the Arab Spring, in particular the Libyan and Syrian Revolutions, led me to spend more and more time scouring the internet for updates. As the Syrian Revolution evolved into protracted civil war, I decided to create a Twitter account to more closely monitor the unfolding events.

One of the accounts I followed was that of Eliot Higgins, who began reporting on the Syrian Civil War on his Brown Moses Blog. After asking him one day if he was going to report on the use of Italian-upgraded T-72 tanks in the war, I remember telling myself that if a ''high-school dropout who knew no more about weapons than the average Xbox owner'' was able to write these articles, so would I probably. That evening, I created a blog, picked a name (Oryx for the majestic animal, and Spioenkop, Afrikaans for 'spy hill', as a place from where one can watch events unfold around the world) and published my first article on Syria's T-72 MBTs.

It was the 16th of February 2013, and little did I realise that the next decade would transform Oryx from a remedy for boredom into a project that would consume the majority of my time and energy. In the months following my inaugural article, I continued to write about Syria, a country that held my focus until 2017. However, a desire towards greater challenges was always present. My motivation thrives on challenges. Offer me the most difficult subject to analyse. Upon mastering the subject's intricacies, I seek out the next challenge.

I ultimately discovered my greatest challenge in the analysis of North Korea. Back in the early 2010s, the scarcity of photographs and videos emerging from the country, in stark contrast to the flood of visual content available now, intrigued me. The limited information available, coupled with the abundance of misinformation, arguably made it the most challenging country to analyse. Through a series of articles and our eventual book(s), Joost and I attempted to unravel the mysteries surrounding the Korean People's Army. Finishing the final pages of the book left me feeling satisfied with North Korea – we had done what we aimed for. We unearthed the answers to our questions. With this challenge resolved, I started looking for another subject that would keep me curious and motivated.

Finding a challenge this time around proved much harder than before. However, the Nagorno-Karabakh War, Türkiye('s defence industry) and the Tigray War eventually emerged as subjects that provided me with both analytical satisfaction and the desired level of complexity. Their status as topics that Western analysts scarcely delved into rendered them all the more interesting to me. In contrast to mainstream media, we weren't confined by the need to generate popular articles and headlines. Instead, we saw this as an opportunity to illuminate underreported conflicts like the Tigray War, the Libyan War and the War in Yemen. Continuously delving into various countries and conflicts kept Oryx fresh for me, but it has also brought me to a place where I feel that I've largely covered the subjects I intended to explore. The journey has been a source of satisfaction, but it has now arrived at its final destination.

Since late 2021, the act of writing feels repetitive, almost as if I've written every sentence before. For me, this realisation serves as a clear sign that it's time to move on. In fact, I had already contemplated ending Oryx by the spring of 2022, but the Russian invasion of Ukraine infused me with renewed energy to keep going. But 1.5 years later, I have lost my spark. My interest in anything military is fading, and the constant pressure to keep up with everything is exhausting. I usually fall asleep with my phone in hand, only to wake up finding I've been sleeping on it. I'm tired of all the death and destruction. It's been a whole decade of watching videos of people's bodies having been torn apart by bombs or parents holding their lifeless newborns who died as a result of armed conflict – it really gets to you.

Still, I take great joy in the opportunities that Oryx has brought me. While I'm aware of options such as securing a position at a think tank or even transforming Oryx into a lucrative private intelligence agency, these career paths hold no appeal for me. To me, the act of donating our entire Patreon income to charities seemed like the only possible course of action. Amidst ongoing wars and natural disasters, it's difficult to justify to ourselves to hold onto money without considering the greater need. True wealth, for me, is found within family, health, and finding happiness in the little things in life. A forest stroll or spending time with friends makes me feel genuinely rich. Learning this lesson at a young age is priceless.

Over the years I've come to realise that, to me, genuine success and happiness are scarcely influenced by popularity, recognition, or even publishing a book. While these achievements hold their own significance, they haven't truly brought me a sense of pride. My most significant accomplishments involve making those dear to me proud and understanding the essence of happiness at a young age. Oryx has shown me that that true happiness cannot be attained through fame, career accomplishments, or wealth.

Reflecting on the last decade, I hope that Oryx has and will continue to motivate others to set out on their own journey of analysis and writing. Starting at the age of 17 without ever taking any education in the field of defence or international relations, Oryx can be seen as evidence that great opportunities await those who choose a similar path. What added to the excitement was the interaction with readers on Twitter, which I've thoroughly enjoyed over the years. At a certain point, the number of messages became overwhelming, so I want to apologise if you never received a response. I also want to express my sincere appreciation to all those who have offered their assistance in various capacities to Oryx over the years, with a special acknowledgment to Jakub. What began as a childhood interest ignited by buying Buck Danny and Biggles comic strips blossomed into a hobby that has far exceeded any reasonable limits. Although I once contemplated a position with an intelligence agency, an offer never came to fruition.

Lastly, I feel compelled to discuss the origin of the practice of list-making and its evolution over time. We began our venture into list-making in 2013 with the goal of aiding our internal analysis. The abundance and variations of North Korea's armored fighting vehicles (AFVs) posed a challenge, prompting us to catalog them before we could analyse them effectively. This initial list set the groundwork for subsequent lists, although it wasn't until the summer of 2014 that we embarked on compiling the 'losses lists,' intended to illustrate the staggering volume of armament and equipment captured by IS in the regions of Iraq and Syria. The rapid proliferation of these lists, owing to the relatively straightforward process of creating them, is probably what Oryx will primarily be remembered for. The lists gained such popularity that I found myself (somewhat jokingly) embracing the entire act of list-making on Oryx with a list of lists. However, I must confess, I have an aversion to planning ahead and never create lists in my everyday life. Sorry!

Recommended Articles:

The Writing Of: The Armed Forces of North Korea, On The Path Of Songun

Ukraine’s Armsbasket: How Bulgaria Arms Ukraine

Oryx

By: Anonymous

13 August 2023 at 13:50

By Jakub Janovsky, naalsio26, Aloha, Dan and Kemal

Bulgaria has emerged as a crucial lifeline for Ukraine, acting as an armsbasket amid the conflict with Russia. The country's defence companies have taken on an unprecedented role, operating around the clock to supply Ukraine with much-needed Soviet-type ammunition to support its resistance against Russia. Paradoxically, even as Bulgarian factories work tirelessly to aid Ukraine, the nation faces an internal contradiction. The pro-Russian President's attribution of blame to Kyiv for Russia's invasion and his vehement opposition to Bulgaria's indirect involvement in the war starkly contrasts with the pro-Ukrainian defence minister's aims of increasing his nation's assistance to Ukraine.

A middle-ground seems to have been reached between the opposing camps within Bulgaria's leadership. This involves the strategic decision to sell the required ammunition and weaponry to NATO member states, which then facilitate their transfer to Ukraine. In this intricate arrangement, Bulgaria manages to navigate a delicate balance, officially upholding its stance of non-military support to Ukraine while covertly contributing to Ukraine's defence efforts. The revenue generated from these transactions serves as a welcome financial boost for the nation, effectively turning the situation into a symbiotic arrangement where Bulgaria assists Ukraine while bolstering its own economic stability.

Despite Bulgaria's President staunchly opposing the provision of weaponry to Ukraine, the country's government is discreetly escalating its support. A testament to this commitment is the recent pledge to supply Ukraine with 100 BTR-60PB APCs. Beyond a mere boost to Ukraine's defensive capabilities, these efforts are underpinned by a strategic objective: Bulgaria aspires to secure access to US weaponry in return. Having missed out on participating in Germany's Ringtausch programme, Bulgaria sees an opportunity to secure US weapons systems through a similar arrangement. By offering Ukraine military assets, many of which stem from the Soviet-era, in exchange for surplus US weaponry, Bulgaria could foster a potential win-win scenario that benefits all parties involved.

The following list attempts to keep track of military equipment delivered or pledged to Ukraine by Bulgaria during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The entries below are sorted by armament category (with a flag denoting the country of origin), and due to the confidential nature of some arms deliveries they can serve only as a lower bound to the total volume delivered. This list is updated as further military support is uncovered.

* Purchases by the Ukrainian or US and EU governments from Bulgarian defence companies.

(Click on the equipment type or vehicle to get a picture)

Jet Aircraft

14 Su-25s* [April 2022] (Purchased from Bulgaria by a NATO member state and delivered to Ukraine)

Tanks

T-72M1s* [Before May 2022] (Purchased by Czechia from Bulgaria and delivered to Ukraine)

Multiple Rocket Launchers

122mm BM-21 Grads* [May or June 2022] (Purchased by Czechia from Bulgaria and delivered to Ukraine)

Self-Propelled Artillery

122mm 2S1 Gvozdikas* [2022] (Purchased by a NATO member state from Bulgaria and delivered to Ukraine)

Towed Artillery

152mm D-20s* [April 2022] (Purchased by Czechia from Bulgaria and delivered to Ukraine)

Mortars

60mm M60CMA Commando Mortars* [Before August 2022]

Armoured Personnel Carriers

100 BTR-60PBs [To be delivered]

Military Gear

2000 Helmets [2022]
2000 Bulletproof Vests [2022]
5000 Sets Of Winter Clothing [Late 2022]
5000 Pairs Of Winter Boots [Late 2022]
350 Medical Kits [Late 2022]

Miscellaneous Items

Huge Quantities of Diesel* [Since April 2022]

Technical Support

Repairing Ukrainian Armoured Vehicles And Equipment [Since May 2022]

Training

The Deployment Of 50 Bulgarian Army Soldiers To Train Ukrainian Soldiers [2023]
The Training Of Of 60 Ukrainian Combat Medics Annually [Since 2023]

Special thanks to War_Noir and Ukraine Weapons Tracker.

Recommended Articles:

Answering The Call: Heavy Weaponry Supplied To Ukraine

Carpathian Camaraderie: Romania’s Military Support For Ukraine

Breaking Plates, Building Alliances: Greece’s Military Aid To Ukraine

Oryx

By: Anonymous

11 August 2023 at 17:02

By Jakub Janovsky, naalsio26, Aloha, Dan and Kemal

The following list attempts to keep track of military equipment delivered or pledged to Ukraine by Greece during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The entries below are sorted by armament category (with a flag denoting the country of origin). Due to the confidential nature of some arms deliveries they can serve only as a lower bound to the total volume of weaponry delivered. This list will be updated as further military support is uncovered or declared.

* Deliveries from Greek stocks through the German Ringtausch programme

(Click on the vehicle or equipment type to get a picture of them)

Infantry Fighting Vehicles (40+)

40 BMP-1A1s* [Delivered from October 2022 onwards] (From Greek stocks through the Ringtausch programme)
Unknown Quantity Of BMP-1A1s [To be delivered]

Anti-Tank Weapons (815)

815 RPG-18s [Delivered from February 2022 onwards]

Small Arms (20.000)

20.000 ''Kalashnikov Rifles'' [Delivered from February 2022 onwards]

Ammunition

Unknown Quantity Of 122mm Rockets [Delivered from February 2022 onwards]
Artillery Ammunition [To be delivered]
Small Arms Ammunition [To be delivered]

Training

The Deployment Of Hellenic Army Soldiers To Train Ukrainian Special Forces [2022/2023]
The Deployment Of Hellenic Army Soldiers To Train Ukrainian Troops On The Leopard 2 MBT [2022/2023]
The Training Of Ukrainian Pilots On The F-16 Fighter Jet [2023/2024]

Medical Aid

Rehabilitation Of Wounded Ukrainian Soldiers In Greece [2023]

Recommended Articles:

Guns N’ Greece: Hellenic Support To Ukraine’s Army Of Resistance

Guardians Of The Pearl: Uganda’s Inventory Of AFVs

Oryx

By: Anonymous

6 August 2023 at 13:07

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Over the past decade, Uganda has quietly embarked on a significant modernisation drive. This ambitious effort has seen the acquisition of Su-30MK2 multi-role fighter aircraft, Mi-28N attack helicopters and T-90S MBTs from Russia. Additionally, the country has invested in advanced weapons systems from Israel, such as 155mm ATMOS SPGs, 120mm SPEAR Mk.2 and CARDOM SPMs, as well as Hermes 900 UAVs. To further supplement its ground forces, Uganda has also obtained Type-85-IIM MBTs and VN2C APCs from China and 240mm 'M-1991 MRLs from North Korea.

Uganda's commitment to enhancing its military capabilities goes beyond the acquisition of AFVs; it also focuses on establishing essential infrastructure for their maintenance and modernisation. This dedication is evident through the establishment of an armour repair workshop and the construction of a factory specialising in assembling a diverse array of South African and Emirati armoured vehicle designs. This arguably signifies Uganda's intent to not only meet its own defence requirements but also explore commercial opportunities on the African defence market.

In its pursuit of further enhancing its armoured capabilities, Uganda has taken significant strides in establishing an armoured warfare training school. Notably, the training is conducted by Russian instructors. [1] By investing in both equipment, maintenance and training, Uganda seeks to bolster its defense capabilities and develop a proficient armoured force capable of handling diverse operational challenges that can expected in this part of Africa.

This list attempts to list all AFV types currently in service with the Uganda People's Defence Force and Police Force. Radars, trucks and jeeps are not included in the list.

(Click on the vehicle or equipment type to get a picture of them)