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The Swiss Air Force (Schweizer Luftwaffe, Forces aériennes suisses, Forze Aeree Svizzere) is the air component of the Swiss Armed Forces. It was established on July 31, 1914 but did not become a separate service until 1936.
During World War II, it defended Swiss airspace against incursions by both Allied and Axis aircraft, shooting down aircraft from both sides of the conflict.
A report in the Swiss news magazine FACTS reveals that the Swiss Air Force only provides ready-to-take-off aircraft during office hours — on working days. The air force staff declared that, due to financial limits, they are not operational all the time.The difficulty of defending Swiss airspace is illustrated by the small size of the country; the maximum extension of Switzerland is 348 km, a distance that can be flown in little over 20 minutes by commercial aircraft. Further, Switzerland’s policy of neutrality means that they are unlikely to be deployed elsewhere.
