The Swiss Air Force (Schweizer Luftwaffe) is one of the smallest air forces in the world.
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 a number from both sides of the conflict.
It is a militia -- only very high-ranking officers are professional soldiers. The Flugwaffenbrigade has relatively little combat power, since its fleet consists of 34 F-18 Hornets. Its old Mirage III jets (about 200) and its F-5 Tigers are out of service. For political reasons, it is not to be expected that the fleet's size will ever be increased; even the addition of F-18's was subject to heated debate led by Swiss peace groups.
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