A Swiss army F/A-18 jet breaking the sound barrier was responsible for the loud noise that alarmed residents of Lausanne on Monday.
This content was published on
1 minute
SDA-Keystone/ac
The boom – which was heard around 2:50pm in the city of Lausanne on Lake Geneva – alarmed residents and elicited many calls to the police. It was caused by the sound barrier being surpassed by one of two Swiss army F/A-18 jets that scrambled to action from the Emmen air base. The reason for their need for speed was an aircraft that had lost radio contact.
The army did not specify the location of the incident beyond the fact that it occurred in the canton of Vaud where Lausanne is located. No further details were given of the mission except that it ended without problems.
Sonic boom caused by American F-18 Hornet:
External Content
Earlier this month, the army’s aerial display team Patrouille SuisseExternal link surprised participants at a yodelling festival. The acrobatic pilots made a mistake with the location and were meant to perform at the centenary of the death of local aviation pioneer Oskar Bider six kilometres away.
More
More
Swiss beef up air police service
This content was published on
From January 1, the Swiss Air Force is extending its service hours as part of a plan to set up a 24-hour air police duty.
This content was published on
The UN Human Rights Council approved the launch of this mechanism in Geneva on Friday, to be followed by an International Commission of Inquiry.
More than 100 wolves shot in Switzerland last year
This content was published on
Swiss hunters legally killed 101 wolves between February 1, 2024, and the end of January 2025. A further six died in accidents or from natural causes.
Swiss health office turns to Bluesky against backdrop of US censorship
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) has joined the Bluesky social network, while US President Donald Trump works with X owner Elon Musk to censor content on official US websites.
Biotech company BioVersys is first Swiss IPO of 2025
This content was published on
The Basel-based biotech company BioVersys made the first initial public offering (IPO) of the year in Switzerland on Friday.
Much more spent on Swiss motorway vote campaigns than budgeted
This content was published on
Opponents and supporters of motorway expansion spent over CHF10 million ($11 million) on their campaigns, around a third more than announced in November.
Swiss researchers monitor animal populations with AI microphone
This content was published on
Researchers in Lausanne are using an intelligent microphone to make the animal world audible. The microphone automatically records animal sounds over large areas and analyses them using AI.
Three employees of Swiss aid organisation killed in DRC
This content was published on
Three employees of the Swiss Protestant Reformed Church (Heks) have been killed in an attack in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They were on a humanitarian mission in the crisis region.
This content was published on
All our waters today are pure at source," Muriel Lienau, general manager of Nestlé Waters, told AFP after press revelations.
Switzerland concerned about impact of US withdrawal from WHO
This content was published on
Switzerland has expressed concern about the loss of American experts and the freezing of contracts due to the announced withdrawal of the US from the World Health Organization (WHO).
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
The sky’s the limit: Swiss aviation pioneers
This content was published on
On the centenary of the first non-stop transatlantic flight, we look at the groundbreaking achievements of some Swiss aviation pioneers.
Confusion as Swiss air force flies over the wrong festival
This content was published on
A Swiss aerial display team missed the target of their flyover in canton Basel Country on Sunday afternoon by some six kilometres.
This content was published on
By 2020, the Swiss army will have two F/A-18 jets ready to take off, fully armed, within 15 minutes, at any time of the day or night. The initiative follows a 2009 Senate motion to guarantee the availability of air police services.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.