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News & Current Events Apr 5, 2026 at 8:35 AM

Swiss army expects to start manufacturing military drones by 2027

Posted by BezugssystemCH1903


Swiss army expects to start manufacturing military drones by 2027
SWI swissinfo.ch
Swiss army expects to start manufacturing military drones by 2027
Swiss army chief Benedikt Roos said that war is stimulating innovation and that Swiss made military drones are in the pipeline.

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dntcareboutdownvotes 6 days ago +104
What attachments will they have?  Can opener, scissors, that spiky thing to get stones out of horses hooves that nobody  has used for 100 years?
104
gunsandgardening 5 days ago +16
Hey if nukes start flying, we may eventually need to get stones out of our horse hooves.
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I_Autumn 4 days ago +2
There's only one Swiss army knife model with the hoof cleaner that's still in production (Equestrian), and it was never a common feature. Are you referring to the reamer awl? You could use that on a hoof (carefully), but it's intended for marking, poking, drilling semi-soft materials like wood, leather, canvas, plastic, tin. Due to the sharp edge on one side, it's inadvisable to use as a marlin spike for rope work, but people do sometimes (and they fray their rope). The Wenger models had no sharp edge, but they were too delicate to be effective as marlin spikes (or as drills). Some of the awls have a sewing eye too, though this weakens the awl so it's not done to the military models. Obviously not for fine or particularly secure sewing, just quick and dirty stuff. Works like a pre-1850s chain stitch sewing machine.
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dntcareboutdownvotes 4 days ago +3
No, I'm just very old and grew up in area of the UK where they were a bit more common.
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Emotional-Farm5974 6 days ago +76
But who'll buy them, knowing that Switzerland will stop delivery of spares and ammunition for those drones if the country buying them is attacked? Everyone remembers what Switzerland did to Ukraine.
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EconomicRegret2 5 days ago +3
> Everyone remembers what Switzerland did to Ukraine. It didn't do anything! It's literally in the contract: no selling nor transferring of Swiss military products to countries at war.
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Affectionate_Oven_77 5 days ago +11
The point being made is that it *did* block other countries from sending military aid to Ukraine, not that it wasn’t legally allowed to. It clearly has been a problem for Swiss arms manufacturers which is why they started production outside of the country to avoid this.
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EconomicRegret2 5 days ago -3
Even that is literally in the contract.
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Affectionate_Oven_77 5 days ago +7
Yes, but again.. this isn't about what is legal. This is about what the actual outcome will be.
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ChemistryThat1261 4 days ago +3
The stupidity is on Germany but it's hard for them to admit to be wrong.
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Extreme_Ad112 4 days ago +2
So laws should be bent according to whoever is in charge's feelings?
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Sophon_01 4 days ago +2
What outcome do you expect by trying to ship to ukraine weapons you bought specifically with the added clause that they couldn't be sent to warzones? It's insane that people still blame Switzerland for this. Just get american overpriced garbage if you want to ship it wherever
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Affectionate_Oven_77 4 days ago +2
> Just get american overpriced garbage if you want to ship it wherever Exactly, or non-American alternatives, just not Swiss. That is exactly the point - buyers want autonomy of what to do with the thing they bought.
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EconomicRegret2 4 days ago +1
How were these buyers so dumb as to buy weapons with a contract clearly stating heavy restrictions on that autonomy and from a country that is globally known to be extremely and pedantly by-the-book (way worse than Germany and the Netherlands themselves)? It isn't Switzerland's fault. It's just very predictably doing what it has always said it'll do... They buyers are at fault here.
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Affectionate_Oven_77 4 days ago +3
Jesus Christ, how many times do you need to be told that we all understand what was in the contract, no-one is blaming Switzerland here. We are just saying that they are no longer an attractive option when buying arms.
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EconomicRegret2 4 days ago +1
> We are just saying that they are no longer an attractive option when buying arms. Yeah, I got that. I was just adding that they should have never been an attractive option *in the first place! Long before Russia even bothered to take Crimea in 2014.* But I probably worded it very clumsily.
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Tucancancan 5 days ago +6
Ok let's try again: Why would any country buy arms from a country who has these shitty contract terms after seeing the consequences 
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EconomicRegret2 4 days ago +1
I'm bewildered too. These contracts are very clear. Why did they buy anything from Switzerland *in the first place?* *The potential consequences were very clear from the get-go!*
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Silent-Battle308 4 days ago +1
For self defense. A certain amount of weapons you will always keep on reserve.
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previouslyonimgur 4 days ago +1
That you can’t replenish because you’re being attacked? Not a viable strategy. The Swiss want neutrality to this extent, then why even bother with a military industry. To subsidize your own defensive weapons? Nice goal. But likely they’re gonna either need to give up that goal, or accept that cutting a besieged nation off from weapons is terrible PR and they’ve likely ruined that industry for their country.
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Silent-Battle308 4 days ago +2
In December, switzerland changed their laws and created a list of 25 trustworthy countries. It is now legal to export to them even when they are involved in a military conflict. Reexport is also legally doable for those countries. I see how puplic opinion is down, but I expect military decision makers to be a bit more level-headed. I think it is insane how other countries expect switzerland to ignore their own laws and to be allowed to break their contracts arbitrarily.
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waldothefrendo 5 days ago +2
Every arms contracts has these, try to sell an F-35 to China without the approval of the US and see how it goes
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Sophon_01 4 days ago +1
Because some countries care about defending themselves and not arming or attacking others. Shocking to an american, i know
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JaVelin-X- 5 days ago +5
Exactly why nobody should buy their weapons
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EconomicRegret2 4 days ago +1
Duh! But apparently world leaders weren't as smart as you are.
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AOAqua 4 days ago +1
So what is the point of buying weapons if they can't be used to defend yourself or your allies? Also how the f*** would you even know if those weapons really work, if they are forbidden to be used in real combat?
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EconomicRegret2 4 days ago +1
*Exactly!* I still don't understand why buyers signed that contract...
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AOAqua 4 days ago +1
Because they never expected to fight any major country, that has relations with Switzerland (aka Russia)
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EconomicRegret2 4 days ago +1
No, not really. Because it's illegal to sell/resell and transfer/re-transfer these weapons to *any and all countries in conflict*. Germany couldn't even resell/transfer them to Sudan if it wanted to (little to no relation to Switzerland). And it's even illegal for Switzerland to repair, maintain or "refuel" (e.g. munitions) sold military products if the buyer is at war... Really makes zero sense to buy military products from Switzerland.
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MiniGui98 3 days ago +2
>But apparently world leaders weren't as smart as you are. Reading the daily news these last years, that's a very plausible possibility lmao
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MarionberryOk3257 4 days ago +1
>Everyone remembers what Switzerland did to Ukraine. Switzerland did exactly nothing wrong. Every single one if its buyers knew what the deal was with switzerlands neutrality as they sogned the contracts. They knew nothing would change by pressuring publicly, only thing that did was making themselves look slightly better.
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Dazzling_River9903 4 days ago
They voted on this and said no. It‘s not like this was an automatic process. They deliberately decided to say no.
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MarionberryOk3257 3 days ago +1
What vote?
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Uncommented-Code 6 days ago -45
From what I've been able to gather, they are for our own internal use. >Everyone remembers what Switzerland did to Ukraine. What did we do to Ukraine? Take up tons of refugees? Oh wait you mean stop selling arms to a country at war? Yeah personally not proud of thatY but armed neutrality means having rules, and the rules state clearly what is allowed or not, just like Ukraine can't join OTAN during war. At least my country does not commit war crimes on the regular.
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AdPure5645 6 days ago +35
The neutrality is a policy that takes advantage of being protected by everyone else while also not helping them, and just being cool with them getting annexed etc. It's a terrible policy
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captainfarthing 5 days ago +5
Politically anti-vax.
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EconomicRegret2 5 days ago +1
It has worked for over 500 years, and has been internationally officially recognized since 1815. When first implemented, the Swiss not only weren't protected but were also fending off aggressive European kingdoms and empires (i.e. the logic of that time dictated it be best to join military/defensive alliances with major powers for their own security, but they didn't and chose neutrality instead.).
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MarionberryOk3257 4 days ago +1
What a dumbass you are
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AdPure5645 4 days ago +1
Oo name calling. You must be a real heavyweight in intellectual circles.
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MarionberryOk3257 4 days ago +1
Well, you dont understand basic principles, so what else would you understand?
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Low-Mulberry-1640 5 days ago
It's a terrible policy implemented by France, later supported by Germany, Austria, and Russia. Basically, the states around us couldn't decide who gets Switzerland, so they made sure that Switzerland belonged to no one and wouldn't ever intervene for or against anyone. This started in 1815, and over the years, it had been preserved by all big states time and time again. Now, those same states are passed that we don't just abandon what they pressured for over two hundred years. Given, I'm no friend of this special neutrality either, but here we are. It would be very, very difficult to abandon something that has been codified, ratified, and socially accepted for such a long time. For Fucks sake, even or soldiers serving observation roles abroad aren't allowed any weapons. Which hinders participation in many peace keeping missions massively.
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MarionberryOk3257 4 days ago +1
Talking out your ass. Switzerlands neutrality has other roots, but dont let facts get in the way of your virtue signalling. Btw there was never an attempt to split switzerland (apart from gaddafis joke attempt), which would be idiotic if you knew any history.
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Low-Mulberry-1640 4 days ago +1
Lmao. Sure buddy. What do you think neutrality of Switzerland comes from? (BTW I didn't talk about splitting Switzerland, it was about which major force could claim it for themselves, and those couldn't agree amongst themselves who of them could get it. )
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Emotional-Farm5974 6 days ago +48
Yeah, you blocked the selling of ammunition and weapons to Ukraine, also from countries such as Finland and Germany who'd bought gear from you. Only an idiot would buy Swiss weapon systems after that. EDIT: You're of course free to have all the principles you want, but you should understand that those principles make your weapons worthless to all other countries.
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dagrapeescape 5 days ago +20
And the Swiss pretending they are all high and mighty when they gladly will hide Russian oligarchs money turns the whole “neutrality” thing into a farce.
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akie 5 days ago +10
Swiss neutrality was always a farce. During WW2 they sold weapons to both the allies and the Germans, and offered their banking services to both. Yes, technically that means you’re neutral, in reality you’re just an a******.
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Emotional-Farm5974 5 days ago +1
What annoys me about "neutral" counties like Switzerland and (previously) Sweden is that they like to pretend that their "neutrality" is morally upstanding instead of simply raw self-interest. This is how they can prevent a democracy from defending itself when it's attacked by a fascist empire, and how they can let the criminals and dictators hide stolen money in their banks, yet pretend that what they're doing is morally right. The reason Switzerland blocked other countries from giving weapons and ammunition to Ukraine is of course not "pacifism", it's that they didn't want to make their big customer russia upset.
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EconomicRegret2 5 days ago +1
> they like to pretend that their "neutrality" is morally upstanding Since f****** when? The Swiss have never seen it as "morally superior". But as a f****** great way of *staying out of trouble* in a Europe torn by wars for millennia. (worked pretty much well for over 500 years!) The "morally superior" Swiss *push for EU and NATO adhesion, for military interventions in Ukraine, in Sudan, etc.* But they are in the minority in Switzerland. > it's that they didn't want to make their big customer russia upset. Jesus! What are you even talking about? Switzerland blocked all selling/transferring of Swiss military products to Russia. And btw, another *"big"* customer is also blocked from Swiss military product: America. Jesus, you guys are making-up your own fantasy Switzerland.
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MarionberryOk3257 4 days ago +1
Russia is a customer? Lol They are bound by the exact same neutrality policy you absolute moron
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EconomicRegret2 5 days ago +1
Only technically? That's literally the definition of being neutral. Keep your military within your borders and stay out of any military alliances. And do business with everyone... I feel like people are waking up to what it actually means to be neutral. It absolutely isn't "morally superior". It's a cut-throat pragmatic move to *stay out of trouble*, that has been working rather well for over 500 years for Switzerland.
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akie 5 days ago +1
The way the Swiss phrase it is always “we don’t do war because we’re morally superior”, while in actuality they like to play both sides and then hide in the mountains.
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lexonid 5 days ago
No one is saying that. In fact there is a lot of criticism of our neutrality within Switzerland
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MarionberryOk3257 4 days ago +1
Only by idiots
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lexonid 4 days ago +1
Nah man, strict Neutrality is a stupid and outdated concept
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Brofessorofnothing 5 days ago -1
what does all this even matter? we had germany killing 1.6 mil jews and now israel has germany producing shit for them… the same thing with ukraine this won‘t matter in the long run… it never does!
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akie 5 days ago +5
Sorry but we’re talking about the Swiss neutrality principle that they loooove to lecture others on
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EconomicRegret2 5 days ago +1
> that they loooove to lecture others on When? How? People seem to have made up their own fantasy Switzerland that they looooove to shit on...
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akie 5 days ago
I lived there for almost two years, they really love to lecture foreigners from their ivory tower of Neutrality 😘
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EconomicRegret2 5 days ago +2
I'm Swiss. And no! We f****** don't! But if you ask questions, we're happy to answer. (obviously, online forums, such as Listnook, are the exception).
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MarionberryOk3257 4 days ago
A foreigner that loves to get the benefits of living in switzerland yet shitting on the principles that made switzerland. Love it
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EconomicRegret2 5 days ago +1
Mate, I'd read up on the definition of neutrality before spouting such nonsense.
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EconomicRegret2 5 days ago +1
That was literally in the contract! So, I'm guessing they didn't read it before buying Swiss weapons.
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MarionberryOk3257 4 days ago +1
Okay, they knew the terms, agreed to them and then made a fuss about it? Lol
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[deleted] 6 days ago -2
[deleted]
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Emotional-Farm5974 6 days ago +11
That's fine. Whether you stop selling or the world stops buying doesn't matter. Point is your weapons are worthless to anyone but you and aggressor nations like russia.
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[deleted] 6 days ago -1
[deleted]
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Emotional-Farm5974 6 days ago +5
Yeah, it says that one or several of the following are true: a) Switzerland's principles are situational and made of rubber, b) the countries do not believe they'll actually need the weapons, or c) some countries are in fact run by idiots.
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Asleep-Waltz2681 5 days ago -5
Gotta respect Switzerland for sticking to its principles no matter the pressure from the other Western countries
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Wise_Mongoose_3930 5 days ago +3
Yeah, I highly respect their principle of ‘who cares how many civilians you murder, feel free to store your gold with us!’ Extremely respectable how they value money over human life and basic morality.
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MarionberryOk3257 4 days ago +1
Because thats what happened, right.
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Asleep-Waltz2681 5 days ago +1
The US is currently commiting murder and destruction of civilian targets and its government is even bragging about it. Is anyone going to stop relations with the US because of that? No?! How unmoral of the West.
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EconomicRegret2 5 days ago +1
Switzerland isn't one person. And neutrality means *military neutrality*. The rest of the country and economy can do as they wish, just like the rest of the world. And last but not least, UK and US are, *by far*, the two biggest enablers of financial secrecy in the world. Switzerland is a *far 3rd position*. And unlike the two others, the Swiss automatically inform foreign governments on financial assets held by their citizens.
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Orpa__ 6 days ago -37
Countries that don't wage war for the hell of it
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Emotional-Farm5974 6 days ago +41
Sure, Ukraine shouldn't have worn that short skirt.
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Orpa__ 6 days ago -24
When I pressed comment I did not see that bit about Ukraine, you added that later.
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Wise_Mongoose_3930 5 days ago +8
You needed that user to tell you what Switzerland did to Ukraine? Why bother commenting in the first place if you’re that unaware of reality?
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MarionberryOk3257 4 days ago
>You needed that user to tell you what Switzerland did to Ukraine? What did they do? Held countries accountable to contract terms they signed and are on line with switzerlands constitution and stamce on neutrality? The horror...
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Emergency-Garage4680 5 days ago -1
What a brain dead reply. You know one tidbit about that whole fiasco huh.
-1
Longjumping-Youth934 6 days ago +15
Neutrality to the aggression = avoidance to help a victim to defend oneself, that is not the policy, but the blasphemy.
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Oyddjayvagr 5 days ago +3
In current times it's different, but when it was implemented it was pretty useful as most of the neighbours were hegemonic aggressors
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Longjumping-Youth934 4 days ago +1
So, why is it still.present un action?
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fishanddipflip 5 days ago +1
So do you think europes neutrality in the iran War is a bad thing?
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Longjumping-Youth934 4 days ago +1
Switzerland is located in Europe. Ukraine fights for the democracy, be a part of EU, against the aggression of nuscovites.
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Heisenbergg55 6 days ago +6
Rolex drones soon?
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AlternativeFace292 6 days ago +3
They hit along with their warranty 💀
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The_Grungeican 5 days ago +3
[The Swiss Army](https://youtu.be/skwR1OckSrY?t=249) is wild.
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BidStrange8608 5 days ago +2
Were the knives not working?
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Wise_Mongoose_3930 5 days ago -1
I guess they don’t feel confident they can freeload off their neighbors for defense anymore.
-1
EconomicRegret2 5 days ago +4
Jesus! How? These neighbors were the main reason Switzerland felt unsafe for thousands of years! And it's also why Switzerland chose neutrality for over 500 years! And now, Switzerland must feel guilty because they've finally managed to stop killing each other for a mere 80 years??? Jesus! F******! Christ!
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AcaSiptar1312 5 days ago +4
Listnook always echochambering about Switzerland lmao We are all suffering so you must suffer too, they can f*** off with that bullshit
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gemfountain 5 days ago +2
I'm so glad that in this day and age, we have the capabilities to swiftly produce large numbers of machines to kill humanity. What good news. /s
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AOAqua 4 days ago +1
Considering price to manufacture them in Switzerland and amount of drones they can produce, as well as their contract terms... These are nothing but money laundering schemes Why the f*** would anyone buy like 10 drones per year, with price €20k each, that can't be used in real combat. Obviously, I greatly exaggerated, but the only real clients for that would be countries like Austria or Hungary, that have no real threats near them
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gemfountain 4 days ago +1
Money laundering and the Trump family go hand in hand.
1
ScottOld 5 days ago +2
Finally a levitating bottle opener/corkscrew/knife...
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EnlightenedApeMeat 3 days ago +2
It just occurred to me that EU arms companies could outflank giants like Lockheed by building fleets of inexpensive but expensive drones. Maybe it wouldn’t require the jump in GDP % that we’d all assumed.
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AcaSiptar1312 5 days ago +3
Lemme guess, listnook still hates swiss cus they refuse to participate in any conflict or aid any side
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Ok_Complex8873 5 days ago +3
Oh they participate in war, but they are on the monetary side of participation.
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EconomicRegret2 5 days ago +7
How? They literally ban the selling and transferring of any Swiss military products to countries in conflict. And their major exports suffer when wars erupts (e.g. chocolate, high precision machines, medicine, etc.). Even their financial sector has the obligation since 2017 to automatically inform foreign governments of any financial assets held by their citizens in Switzerland, and to freeze all criminals accounts. The financial sector is globally interconnected. If a criminal is denounced by America, France or Japan their accounts and assets are automatically frozen in Switzerland.
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Ok_Complex8873 5 days ago +2
1) By giving shelter to the wealth of those who get rich during the war 2) By managing investments of warlords, including investing stocks in defensive sector 3) By exploiting peaceful nature of their neigbors and underinvesting in their own defense.
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EconomicRegret2 5 days ago +5
> 1) 1) By giving shelter to the wealth of those who get rich during the war. 2) By managing investments of warlords, including investing stocks in defensive sector. Like I said, the financial industry is globally connected. If any country sanctions/jails an individual, their assets are automatically frozen, even in Switzerland. And btw, the wealth of those who truly get rich during wars are in America (e.g. military industry complex, Bush family, IBM, Ford, Trump, Peter Thiel, Musk, etc.) > 3) By exploiting peaceful nature of their neigbors and underinvesting in their own defense. ??? LMAO We must now feel sorry for them because they somehow managed to stop killing each other for 80 years, especially after attacking, colonizing, and in general threatening the Swiss (and others) for *thousands* of years. *F*** off!*
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Momongus- 4 days ago +2
The notion that Switzerland "exploits the peaceful nature of their neighbors" is absolutely insane I’m cackling
2
VoltNShock 5 days ago
their tune would change a lot if they were in actual danger and not packed in between a bunch of friendly nations. let's see how much you care about neutrality when you're attacked and everyone says "oh, well you are neutral so no point in helping you."
0
EconomicRegret2 5 days ago +2
Switzerland has been neutral for over 500 years... *their tune didn't change even when attacked.*
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AcaSiptar1312 5 days ago +4
And they are NOT freeloaders in any means as they have mandatory conscription and a total defense strategy. They arent freeloaders because they secure their own borders thus NATO doesnt have to worry about patrolling it. I swear listnook is such an echochamber when it comes to switzerland. Oh but they hoard nazi gold. Well if every countrys history was held to todays moral standards i highly doubt there would be many if any angels. Its the tall poppy syndrome
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EconomicRegret2 4 days ago +2
Well said!
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MarionberryOk3257 4 days ago +1
You mean the switzerland that is located in the middle of the continent with the f****** most wars? Lol
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Sad-Excitement9295 6 days ago +2
Surprised it wasn't sooner
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Shadow_F3r4L 6 days ago +8
Given that we can all watch drone warfare evolve in real-time, it is shocking that they still drag their heels
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Sad-Excitement9295 5 days ago +1
Yeah, I'm amazed at the lack of production when we've known about these for so long, and seen how mass produced they are.
1
Mist_Rising 5 days ago +1
The Swiss have the advantage of geography. Not the mountains but the EU shaped thing called the EU that means attacking them alone is going to be tough. The mountains help too.
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Sad-Excitement9295 5 days ago +1
Right, but might as well take on the bulk of manufacturing from a safe place like this so the EU shaped thing has a good defense against drones. Could have supplied Ukraine by now and made drones not worth using. Wjy are we waiting around for things to get worse? End it before it becomes a bigger problem.
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brakiri 5 days ago +1
Swiss Army Knife meets Inspector Gadget!
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JustReadTheInstr 5 days ago +1
And what will they do with them?
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Bulky-Mode2837 4 days ago +1
Let those Leopards go to the eastern border already! They are paid for by Europeans anyway! #wontforget
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AccomplishedSoft1350 5 days ago
No one will buy because itll come with a 1000 rule book that basically means you can't ever use unless its against Satan but only every other Sunday.
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