Peaceful, neutral state is able to deploy from the 22,000th in two to four hours (!) 650 thousandth, and in two days, 1.7-million (!) Army, well-trained, well-organized and armed.
Most militarized country in the world? Hint: it's not the US, not Russia, not Israel, and forgive Kim Jong Il, North Korea did not. The answer will surprise you very much, but it's a surprise - deceptive.
Imagine a state with the largest percentage of the world population in the army. A state in which all men from 20 to 50 - the military, literally sleeping with a gun under his bed. The state, which after 50 just gives you a barrel, and am glad to see you before the coffin to the collection and landfills. State, beg you to buy at least a pistol (and better-rifle) with discount.
State capable of deployed 22,000th in two to four hours (!) 650 thousandth, and in two days, 1.7-million (!) Army, well trained, organized, and very well armed. (For example - the US Army - 1.3 million plus a reserve army of China - 2.4 million, plus 1 million. Reserve).
Imagine the most militarized country in the world.
And plus, note that almost all of this eerie, heavily armed country from Geneva to Davos from Zurich to Lugano - tall mountains, pitted tunnels, nuclear shelter, weapons storage, "bins homeland" and rocket-artillery support gun emplacements, crashed in granite.
Swiss Army - not the only country in the world, having the frame structure, the militia. By the same principle (in some approximation) is built, for example, the Bundeswehr, which is in fact a kind of analogue of the huge Soviet "cadre" divisions. Ie system - the "little soldiers + many career officers and reservists unterofitser + + in civilian training sessions = deployment only when necessary».
Unlike the Swiss in bringing to the absolute idea of "the people and the army are one».
It looks like this:
professional soldiers in the country a total of about 9,000, mostly in aviation. Em>
In the service and retraining - about 10-15 thousand at a time. Soldiers called up for 90 days in the so-called Rekrutenschule - Ecole de recrue. After graduating from the State gives personal weapon fighter with two full magazine (rifle and / or pistol), "Canned minister", three sets of forms for all seasons, gear, body armor and a helmet, with whom he falls home. He keeps it as he wants - nobody will not check.
Up to 32 years of soldiers is in the "austsug" to 42 "Landwehr", and to the 50 "Landsturm." Private austsug-over 10 years for their part runs eight charges of three weeks, Landwehr - three times two weeks Landsturm - 1 times for two weeks. Once executed 51 years, you officially dismissed from the army, take a rifle, a pistol and "Canned" and give kitted pump shotgun and mobilization prescription - in case the Big zvizdets and total mobilization.
The peculiarity of the Swiss army - reinforced training of officers - reservists. Those who wish to become officers undergo additional fees - every rank - about 100 days in total. This, by the way, enjoy, to the displeasure of employers (especially the Banking Association), all the bosses - from the CEO to the small head of the department. They say that they are simply the law of conservation z / dump his wife and work on picnics - stag shooting, but that's not quite true - there goes service.
Cause really rather that competently hitting on fees can lie behind a machine gun and at the same time to communicate with the right people, higher current or potential colleagues, helpful politicians, MPs and simply with a neighbor, for no one can evade service, nobody really - any student (yes straight from the audience, easily), nor the president, if they are men.
And you know what military budget of 7.5 million people? - Almost five billion! dollars - almost 20 percent of GDP. What's armed? Many things - more than 800 (!) Tanks and armored vehicles (420 Leopard 2, 150 M-109). The country has a length of only 300 km of 14 squadrons with more than 350 combat-yu, 120 training aircraft and 100 helicopters! The park is constantly updated, such as, for example, in the US Army, when the pilot of the aircraft are often younger than her, is not allowed here.
Illiquid assets and carefully renovated and restored Army weapons state sells at a significant discount to citizens, with special offers its women, registration is simple, and only for the new, bought in the store. When buying from hands - not required. By conservative estimates, only the Army weapons and semiautomatic rifles, hunting guns in the hands of the population - and a half million. Plus approximately two million handguns. Fourth place in the world on the trunks per capita and the second in the percentage of the population with trunks.
The country has dozens of shooting clubs, galleries almost as much as a coffee shop.
How is a soldier? Like a good idea - two weekends in a week furlough, toilets not build, potatoes not clean, the dishes do not wash, do not paint the fences - all made by private firms. Now sit down at all - he did not go to the guard! Perimeter in / hr guard and private security firms!
Yes it is just a celebration of some sort, but not the service! Resort!
Well, the barrel of honey we figured vozmёmsya for tar.
Let's start with the same "resort." The rise in the 5-00, and more - everything running. With a break for devour and shit - continuous war - physical training, shooting, melee, driving, equipment, mountain climbing, and again in a circle. And so to the last post. A retreat - at 24-00. And in 5-00 - again rise. They say a little strained in any army there.
Zoldaten chase so that they turn into a Terminator and Rambo in one bottle. Example - an officer, please laureates in Darwin-2007. First he teaches to his platoon iznemozhdeniya handle a gun, and then to check (as used) rushes with a bayonet on the martyred soldier. Result - shoot on full automatic.
Next. Well, yes, shooting enthusiasm healthy patriotism, etc., but also tenacious paws homeland in stock. If you arrive later on the agenda (session, wedding, booze, holidays, etc.) shines a fine and a prison on such a terrible article that Private Suisse can put an end to his career. Its no one and never a decent job will not take. White ticket? Are you blind, sick or emigrant? Get 3 percent tax on the military. Pacifist-alternativschiki? Receive the same agenda, but raking municipal shit and a half times more often. Work abroad, and for no reason forgot / got to fees? See above - prison is your home.
Next. Calm quiet country? Myth! Second place in the world (non-combatants) in mortality from firearms per capita! However, in fairness - it is the result of over-concentration of trunks. If the rest of Europe razgildyaya, thief or a suicide waiting rake over the eggs, frying pan in the forehead or around the neck loop, then in Switzerland - whitefish, Sphinx, or Glock.
A day in the Swiss Army h6>
The first days of October. In the air, rich fragrance of alpine foothills, worn like a cobweb and hangs incessant ringing cow bells distant. Amid all this peace and splendor from time to time heard thunder. It is near the village of Elm tank ranges tested autumn teachings.
We turn off the highway onto a side road, and after a couple of hundred meters drive up to a squat rectangular structure with internal parade ground, and two outputs. A CAT 14th Tank Battalion met us three officers: Lieutenant Georg Klingler, Captain and Lieutenant Michael Izenring translator Alexei Gromov. Our day in the Swiss army began right on schedule. And with the obligatory cup of morning coffee and croissants in the staff room.
Polygon in the mountains h6>
The Swiss Confederation - a state is quite small and the tank ranges from only two of its army. One of them is located in a mountain valley Vilhenalp. It exists more than 40 years, but upgraded with the latest electronic technology and is considered the largest in Europe.
Surrounding the small valley snowy cliff massif Toddy exceed the required safety of 500 meters and are an excellent natural barrier when firing live ammunition. Noticed a huge hangar with mechanical workshop for twenty military vehicles such as the German heavy tank of the modernized "Leopard" and light tanks SP 2000 Swedish origin. And on the pedestal stood English "Centurion».
Service workshops civilians under normal operating contract. On the one hand to the hangar adjacent brick building warehouses of ammunition, the other - open shooting range for infantry soldiers, who are loudly called grenadiers. All buildings are located compactly in early landfill at some distance from the tower of the command post, stuffed with the most advanced instruments for monitoring the progress of the exercise.
Armored vehicles are moved to a distance of not less than a kilometer, but fitted with chips, so any maneuver them reflected on the electronic map, and video surveillance system further enhances the effect of the presence there, where there are "fighting". On the tower is constantly on duty six officers, but if arriving unit commanders, the number of observers increased to twelve people. Near ascended up 15-meter-high tower with a thermal camera, which captures any movement on the mountain paths, so that nothing living does not get into the zone of fire.
On the day on the range is made of about 20 shots. To this figure is disheartening, adding that one tank shot is worth more than $ 700. Fires in the main battle 120-mm shells. But in recent years because of the ensuing military campaign to save a tank gun barrels inserted ersatz muzzle smaller caliber, which, naturally, somewhat reduces the cost of military training.
At four weeks of autumn exercises armored brigade, and two of them get 49 thousand liters of diesel fuel. Total armed forces consists of Swiss 687 tanks and 483 units of other armored vehicles. That puzzled by the General Staff in Bern, how to divide the resulting fuel between departments to minimal cost, but really hold classes.
After waiting in line at a position beyond the next couple of light armored vehicles, in the womb of iron which fits ten paratroopers. They sit on a low iron benches close to each other, squeezing between his knees assault rifle SIG 550. camouflaged soldiers also sewn into the chip, so they are crossing over a mountain stream on the far turn on the tower will see almost firsthand.
But then the lights went red signal prohibits the heat chamber, shut the top hatches and on the road polygon, made the first shot, confidently rushed tanks, raising a cloud of dust in the air. All present at the KP as teammates put in earplugs ears personal kit as prescribed statute. In the Swiss army, as, indeed, do the Swiss have, if we set the rules, all of them will carry out unquestioningly. It is in the nature.
Weapons in each family h6>
In the Swiss army are only 3, 5, thousands of military personnel: officers of the General Staff, the non-commissioned officers and soldiers of special forces and military police. The remaining 120 thousand so-called active militia officers and soldiers, as well as about 230 thousand reservists make up the "muscle" the weight of the armed forces.
This unique Swiss militia system has its roots deep in the Middle Ages and is due to historical reasons the development of the country, constantly riven by local wars between cantons or forced to fight against external enemies.
The first military treaty united cantons of Switzerland was signed in 1798, it was then believed to be originated and the current Swiss army. The agreement provided for the conscription for the male population of this sort of union state. However, it was possible to buy off the military service: the cantonal cashier rich citizens voluntarily contributed some considerable amount. However, the same Taxed transactions stipulated in the charter of a modern army.
During World War II, surrounded on all sides by pro-fascist regimes and having joint border with Nazi Germany, Switzerland resorted to military service hand combat weapon. The whole country was, as it were drafted into the army, while continuing to work in factories, in offices or farms.
Real combat service carried only mobile fighting forces in the border regions and in the mountains. It was then elected by the Parliament army commander Gen. Gyuze implemented subsequently developed a plan to build the main army depots, and defense facilities in the depths of the mountain massifs of St. Moritz, the Gotthard and Glarus.
weapons since the war and stored in the family - in wardrobes and cupboards, near a military uniform and a backpack. Incidentally, in the army, as well as the police have the right to serve only the citizens of Switzerland.
Swiss military service, depending on the type of troops required to devote Ratna for 180 to 270 hours per year. On those weeks, which removes combat training for homeland defenders saved up to 80% of salary and, of course, the workplace itself. Army Soldier receives from Solden (salary) to 6 dollars a day, the officer - 8, $ 5.
Here it should be noted that in addition to skiing shooting is considered the country's national sport. But otherwise: 270 thousand 120 thousand reservists and active military policemen while serving soldier must submit a book with notes of firings conducted and their results. Shooting - is sacred, it is those traditions that in the conservative Swiss unchanged for centuries.
Administration of a small community can not find the necessary money to repair the roads, but with the success of the vote puts the proud descendants of William of Tell a project to build a new Tyre and modernization of old. And such shooting ranges and closed galleries scattered throughout the most peaceful country in Europe many thousands. National and regional competitions on shooting from a pistol or assault rifle are always at a mass gathering of people.
Not for Russian ... h6>
At 12 platoons foot soldiers and officers march down to the wooden structure elmskogo Tyre, where the exercises will organize something like a canteen. Marching boiler porridge we had not noticed. Soldiers gets a good chunk of the cordon bleu (chicken breast with ham and cheese) with pasta and vegetables. Officers and non-commissioned officers were eating the same thing, but after his subordinates and for the same tables. Fifteen minutes relaxing on a sunny hillside, and now the first guttural commands raise ages and unshaven soldiers extinguished the last cigarette ...
Incidentally marched Swiss units do not walk, from the Prussian army refused to drill in the late XIX century. A compulsory military training takes place in the same hiring schools for six months, on a three-week training camp as the soldiers did not have time, and can be, and just do not want to be reconstructed on a war footing. What, in fact, in their duties and is not included. This is evidenced even schedule: rise at 6 am, personal hygiene, breakfast, classes on range, lunch, shooting, dinner and private time. Total retreat in 24.00.
Barracks, which we visited, is considered small and accommodates up to 130 people. It is divided into soldiers (up to 20 people), the non-commissioned officers and officers of the room (up to six people). They are almost indistinguishable from one another: and there, and there bunk iron beds with thin mattresses and sleeping bags. To the charge of large headboard soldiers backpacks with personal belongings. Shoe racks stretch along the corridor walls barracks. Toilets and showers are striking purity.
Hazing in Swiss barracks heard. Yes, and the time in which young men spend not so much. Here, because the army does not go away, and come for a few weeks and went home. And for the mandatory exercises conducted on Saturday and Sunday at home.
For all conspicuous democratic order with discipline in militia units no problems. Because it is designed and painted to detail the system of monetary penalties, and they are several orders of magnitude higher than on "citizen" for any failure to comply with the rules of the Army hostel and a violation of the statute. Control functions performed by regular officers. A decision on the penalty takes the unit commander. A rare criminal violation is considering military prosecutor.
All that we discussed with the officers to accompany us. Collect, clean-shaven George Klingler in two weeks, returning to the "citizen", will once again be a lawyer. And while he carefully answers questions.
