Drone defense in Switzerland: the exercise in Bern kicks off (cross-border guide)

Context

In brief

• Four-day joint exercise gets underway in Bern
• Objective: protection of critical infrastructure
• Focus on energy and telecommunication facilities
• Recent incidents in Europe increase the relevance of the topic

Key facts

• What: Joint drone defense exercise
• When: Four days starting Saturday
• Where: Canton of Bern and the Bantiger hill
• Who: Cantonal police and security specialists
• Objective: Protection of transmission towers and energy facilities
• Context: Unidentified flights over military facilities in the summer

Drone defense now represents a concrete necessity and no longer a mere theoretical projection for the future. With these words Philippe Müller, security director of the Canton of Bern, inaugurated the maneuver session focused on safeguarding national strategic networks. The initiative, structured over four consecutive days, involves the participation of various specialized units and was launched in the Bernese cantonal territory. During a press conference organized on the Bantiger hill, located in the north-eastern area of Bern, operators of the Cantonal Police illustrated the operational methods planned to neutralize any direct aerial threats against critical infrastructure. At the center of the operations are in particular the facilities linked to the production and distribution of electricity and telecommunication towers, considered vital nodes for the country's stability and for the continuity of essential public services.

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Operational details

Implications for the security of strategic networks

The technological evolution of unmanned aerial vehicles requires a deep revision of the protection strategies adopted by cantonal and federal authorities. Swiss critical infrastructures, historically protected against conventional threats, are now dealing with commercial devices that are easily available and modifiable for observation or interference purposes. The ongoing exercise in Bern represents a fundamental test bench to verify the coordination capacity among the different entities responsible for public safety. Unlike the past, when protection focused almost exclusively on the control of physical land access and traditional perimeter surveillance, the current scenario requires constant three-dimensional surveillance of the airspace surrounding sensitive facilities.

Intervention scenarios and cantonal coordination

The security authorities of the Canton of Bern, as well as those of the other Swiss cantons, must face the speed with which these technologies evolve and spread. During the maneuvers on the Bantiger, police specialists demonstrated the practical application of intervention protocols ranging from the early detection of the flight signal to the possible technical neutralization of the hostile device. Close collaboration between cantonal police forces and the managers of energy and telecommunication infrastructures constitutes the backbone of this preventive strategy. The enhancement of technological defenses and the continuous training of operational personnel serve to ensure that every strategic facility can continue to operate safely, preventing service interruptions that could affect the entire Swiss community and the national economy.

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Key points

Procedures and operational guidelines for protection

Faced with the increasing use of unmanned aircraft, Swiss institutions recommend the adoption of a structured approach based on the prevention and timely reporting of any abnormal activity in the vicinity of sensitive areas. Operators of critical installations, as well as citizens residing in the vicinity of energy or telecommunications installations, are invited to follow standardized procedures for reporting suspicious events to the competent authorities. The alarm chain provides for the immediate involvement of the cantonal police operations centres, which now have updated guidelines to assess the level of risk and activate the specialized intervention units.

Verification of standards and in-depth tools

Keeping up to date with the regulations and security measures adopted in Switzerland is essential to understand the evolution of the country's economic and social context. To learn more about the aspects related to land management, living conditions and national infrastructures, you can consult the resources and tools available to guide you in the Swiss context. Evaluate the economic and social security situation using the official calcolatore available to better plan every aspect of your life and work in Switzerland.

Source: laregione.ch