Switzerland

On this page you will find a selection of my work for Swiss armed forces and about military events in Switzerland.

Please feel free to download some PDF copies of my published work for non-commercial purposes.

If you work in the Swiss armed forces and you would like to hear about me from someone you may know, I have personally met and worked closely with the following persons who are well aware of the work I do:

S. Hanimann (LT 8).
(first names are withheld for privacy reasons, ranks because they change over time)

Dirk Jan de Ridder

Los Tigres Alpinos, in Avión Revue (March 2011)
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Peak Performers, in FLYMAG (December 2017)
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““The days of winning a fight in the F-5 against an F/A-18 are over. The F-5’s radar is looking forward for a couple of miles and that’s it. It has a display with a cross in the front and the pilot has to bring the other aircraft into that cross to be able to fire a missile. With the F/A-18 we are much better equipped. The Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System enables us to shoot around the corner. If we can see an aircraft, we can shoot it down from that angle. The F-5’s only advantage is its small size. Their pilots play a lot with their visibility and with radar tactics. But still 99% of all fights are won by the Hornet.”

Capt Martin Hess
about the differences between the F-5 Tiger II and F/A-18 Hornet

“Since our air force is relatively small, our helicopter pilots are fully trained on all helicopter types. One of the reasons that the EC635 was selected [to replace the Alouette III] is that its cockpit layout is very similar to the Cougar and Super Puma. This enables pilots to fly all types without much difficulty.”

Maj Sebastian Hanimann
about dual-qualified military helicopter pilots in the Swiss Air Force

Peak Performers – Swiss Air Force helicopters
April 10, 2017
Swiss Air Force helicopter pilots carry out many roles in difficult circumstances, making them one of the most experienced pilots in the world. Read more
Alpine tigers
July 29, 2010
A review of current operations with the Swiss Air Force F-5 Tiger II and the plan to replace them with modern fighter jets. Read more