Time is almost up for the Swiss Air Force presence at Sion air base, but not before a Repetition Course and a call of duty to protect world leaders during the 2017 World Economic Forum at Davos.
ONE OF THE most spectacular air bases in the world, Sion is located in the Valais region at the foot of a dramatic mountain valley. As the Swiss Air Force begins another round of streamlining, the base is moving to all-commercial operations and the military will cease flying from here in December.
The month of January was the last call for large-scale military operations at the base, with Repetition Course (Wiederholungskurs) training place concurrently with the air policing duties over Davos as global leaders gathered for this year’s World Economic Forum (WEF).
The decision to close Sion for military movements goes back to 2013 when the Swiss Federal Council settled upon a new concept of stationing and the Swiss Army decided to withdraw one third of its property portfolio. Sion air base, which had been plagued for many years by complaints from the local neighborhood and lacked real political support from the regional authorities, paid the price of these measures. Thus, from January 16- 21, Base Aérienne 14 (B…
