Swiss Army greenlights cooperation with troops in high-altitude US state

By Timo Kirez

GENEVA (AA) – The Swiss Federal Council on Friday gave the greenlight to a partnership between the Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection, and Sports (DDPS) and the National Guard in Colorado, the highest-altitude state in the US.

In a press release, the DDPS said that in a memorandum of understanding, it set out the scope and focus of future cooperation with the Colorado National Guard.

It includes cyber, space, critical infrastructure protection, medical services, and logistics, it said.

“The cooperation enables the Swiss Armed Forces to expand its expertise without entering into any obligations or dependencies,” wrote the Swiss Defense Ministry.

According to the announcement, points of contact include the militia principle, under which the US National Guard is also organized, as well as a similar range of tasks.

“Possible joint activities include training mountain specialists and exchanging expertise in disaster relief and transport in alpine terrain,” according to the DDPS, referring to the famed peaks in both territories.

The cooperation would come under the US National Guard's State Partnership Program, which serves to promote training cooperation between US states and foreign armed forces.

To date, more than 100 countries have entered into such partnerships, 25 of them in Europe.

An agreement on military training cooperation already exists between the US and Switzerland. According to the DDPS, participation in the State Partnership Program fits into this cooperation.

On Swiss neutrality, the ministry wrote: “The cooperation is compatible with neutrality.”

The memorandum of understanding is to be signed in Switzerland by the chief of the Armed Forces and the commander of the Colorado National Guard. A second ceremony is to take place at a later date in the US.