Austria has maintained a partnership with the Vermont National Guard for around two years.and now Switzerland also wants to participate in the US National Guard’s State Partnership Program (SPP). This was decided by the Federal Council a few days ago. The participation offers the army the opportunity to further expand international cooperation and further strengthen its own defense capabilities, according to the statement.
The US National Guard SPP, which has been in existence since the 1990s, serves to institutionalize training cooperation with foreign armed forces. The aim is to strengthen relationships and support the mutual development of expertise and capabilities through regular exchanges. Currently, 100 countries worldwide have concluded a partnership program with the US National Guard, 25 of which are in Europe. The Federal Council’s decision triggers the accession process on the part of Switzerland. If the US authorities decide in favor of Switzerland joining the US National Guard’s SPP, effective participation would take place from 2025 at the earliest. https://militaeraktuell.at/pro-defensione-preistraeger-brigadier-udo-birkner/ Cooperation with the US National Guard would support the Armed Forces in expanding interoperability without entering into obligations, dependencies or constraints that would be incompatible with neutrality. For example, proven operational procedures of the US National Guard could be incorporated into the exercises and training of the Swiss Armed Forces or joint training for specialists in areas such as mountain service and NBC defense could be offered. An agreement on military training cooperation has existed between the USA and Switzerland for several years. Participation in the SPP is an extension of these good relations and contributes to strengthening the defense capability of the armed forces. The US National Guard and the Swiss Armed Forces have many similarities in terms of organization, range of tasks and resources. The fact that both have a similar militia system provides an ideal basis for cooperation. The content of the partnership program and the scope of the cooperation are largely determined by the potential partner country, i.e. Switzerland.
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