Swiss army moves into position for WEF

A member of the Swiss special forces on the roof of the WEF Congress Center in Davos last year Keystone

The deployment of the Swiss army has begun ahead of the 50^th annual meeting of the World Economic ForumExternal link (WEF), held in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos from January 21-24. The army will boost cantonal forces.

The air force has stepped up surveillance of the airspace, the defence ministry saidExternal link on Friday. Safety in the airspace above Davos, in eastern Switzerland, will be ensured by radars, ready-for-action fighter jets and ground-based air defence. Armed fighter jets will patrol permanently during conference hours. 

From January 20-25, air traffic in the Davos area will be restricted throughout and all flights will be subject to authorisation. WEF visitors will again be able to land at Dübendorf, near Zurich, and, after going through checks, travel to Davos by private helicopter or by land. 

Parliament has set a limit of 5,000 army personnel to assist at the WEF. Only some will be deployed in Davos. Others will protect infrastructure facilities outside Davos and provide logistical and command support services. 

The deployment of armed forces were estimated at CHF32 million in 2019. Additional security costs, which in 2019 were thought to amount to CHF9 million ($9.2 million), are split between the Confederation, canton Graubünden, the town of Davos and WEF.  

Responsibility for operations lies with the civilian authorities of canton Graubünden. The only exception is the maintenance of air sovereignty, which is up to the Swiss air force.