Position as national security partner further strengthened

With the «RIGI» project, RUAG is taking on a central role in a forward-looking Swiss Air Defense initiative. Together with ongoing projects, this underscores the ambitious strategy of the Business Area AIR

Partial final assembly of F-35A fighter jets in Switzerland

With the “RIGI” project, RUAG is strengthening its role as a national security partner: The final assembly and testing of four of the planned 36 F-35A fighter jets will be carried out at the Emmen site. By building up F-35A expertise, the company is securing crucial long-term know how in the areas of operations, technical system support, and maintenance for the benefit of the Armed Forces. In this way, RUAG is making a significant contribution to ensuring the operational readiness of the Swiss Air Force.

EC635 value preservation

RUAG is ensuring the long-term value preservation of the 18 EC635 helicopters of the Swiss Armed Forces. The helicopters, which have been in service for almost 20 years, have now completed over 100,000 flight hours and are to remain fully operational until 2040. Thanks to its many years of experience and successful conversion projects, RUAG offers a comprehensive modernization solution with the following key features:

• Increased operational safety and guaranteed operational capability within the NATO network
• Reduced life cycle costs and minimized obsolescence risks
• Integration of modern systems for communication, navigation and collision warning – Harmonization of tactical communication with platforms such as TH18
• Continued use of existing infrastructure (including training resources and support equipment)

The EC635 value preservation project strengthens RUAG’s long-term capability for complex MRO services and is proceeding according to plan: Development work is underway and installation work on the prototype will begin in mid-2026. The project is scheduled for completion in mid-2032.

PC-7 modernization

As part of the Pilatus PC-7 WE value preservation program, RUAG, as the overall technical partner, is undertaking the comprehensive modernization of the Swiss Air Force’s 27 aircraft together with Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. The first project phase “Preliminary accompanying measures” is proceeding according to plan: A total of 25 aircraft have already been successfully retrofitted – 14 by RUAG at its Lodrino site and 11 by Pilatus in Stans. The second phase of the project has been initiated and will run until 2030. This program will ensure that the PC-7 fleet remains operational in the future – at least until 2040. RUAG is thus making a significant contribution to ensuring pilot training for the Swiss Air Force.

Full support for the Swiss Armed Forces

The sale of the remaining Leopard 1 tanks from the inventory in Italy is an important step into the future for RUAG. The projects in the Business Area Sensors, Communication & Ground are now even more closely aligned with the core mission: Supporting the Swiss Armed Forces.

Sale of Leopard 1 tanks

RUAG has sold all 96 Leopard 1 tanks stationed in Italy, along with the associated spare parts, to Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH. The contract prohibits the resale of the tanks or spare parts to Ukraine. The deal is profitable for RUAG and represents another significant step in reducing legacy issues.

Repair of “87 Leopard WE” tanks

The “87 Leopard” (Leopard 2) tank was introduced to the mechanized units of the Swiss Armed Forces in 1987. The necessary repair work is to be carried out with a commitment credit requested as part of the 2025 armament program. At the time of writing this annual report, RUAG is in the final stages of contract negotiations with armasuisse. The contract covers the following activities:

• Transmission overhaul (80 units) on the “87 Leopard WE” tank, the engineer and mine clearance tank, and the recovery tank
• Replacement of various worn components
• Conversion of fire control computers and technical modifications to the weapon systems of the battle tanks so that new types of multi-purpose ammunition can be fired
• Value preservation of recovery tanks; installation of a reversing aid for recovery under cover and replacement of various vehicle components

Replacement of the Integrated Military Telecommunication System (Ersa IMFS)

Ersa IMFS is the tactical communications network for the digital and secure voice and data communication of the Swiss Armed Forces. The project remains on track: RUAG successfully completed the extended procurement preparation phase in 2025. The signing of the framework agreement with armasuisse marked the start of the procurement phase.

Munitions disposal

RUAG operates a facility for environmentally friendly munitions disposal in Altdorf. RUAG can contribute its proven expertise in this area and its scientific and technical experience from large-scale projects to the clearance of the former Mitholz ammunition depot.

In addition, the Federal Office for Defense Procurement armasuisse, in cooperation with RUAG, signed an initial contract with the U.S. Army Europe for munitions disposal for the U.S. Army. The pilot project is intended to ensure that Switzerland retains its expertise in this area in the long term.

Strategic focus on digitalization

A fully digitalized overall system for the Swiss Armed Forces is becoming increasingly important. In order to provide targeted support for this development, RUAG has initiated the «C5I Strategy» as part of its company strategy and acts as the «test and integration partner» of the Swiss Armed Forces, with a particular focus on expanding the C5I-Campus as innovation hub for secure IT solutions.

Strengthening the Business Area C5I

During the reporting year, the Business Area C5I (Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, and Intelligence) was established as a permanent part of the RUAG MRO Holding Ltd Executive Board. In the future, this Business Area will assume the central role of “test and integration partner” for the Swiss Armed Forces, with a particular focus on the Cyber Command.

A key element of this strategic alignment is the C5I-Campus in Thun – an innovation hub for highly secure IT systems. At its heart is the SNFW lab (sensor-intelligence-commandaction network), which focuses on the rapid integration of Swiss Armed Forces solutions. The C5I-Campus will be developed into a comprehensive ecosystem in a modular, step-by-step manner in line with market and customer requirements. In addition, RUAG is planning another innovation center in western Switzerland, which is expected to employ around 100 people within ten years.

From the “C5I strategy” to the framework agreement

Various strategic implementation elements were defined during the reporting year with a view to making the “C5I strategy” operational. This includes the “Mission-critical ICT Cyber Command” framework agreement between armasuisse and RUAG. The agreement is intended to ensure joint planning security and more efficient cooperation between the Cyber Command and the Business Area C5I. It is expected that the agreement will be concluded in spring 2026.

CFBLNet

RUAG was able to conclude yet another key strategic project with armasuisse: the ten-year contract for the construction and operation of the CFBLNet (Combined Federated Battle Laboratories Network). With this, an environment will be established on the C5I Campus that is unique within Switzerland and in which interoperability standards can be tested, verified, and further developed.

“Guardian” becomes “Secure Mobile Services C5I”

With the “Guardian” program launched in 2022, RUAG set out to develop a secure mobile platform. During the reporting year, the program was transferred to the Business Area C5I as “Secure Mobile Services C5I”. The strategic realignment has shifted the focus to European end devices in combination with the GrapheneOS open-source operating system. This creates the basis for a secure and future oriented mobile solution for the Swiss Armed Forces.