Swisscoy



The Swisscoy is an association of the Swiss Army in Kosovo. It is provided as part of the KFOR of NATO military mission to promote peace in Kosovo. The association contains a contingent of more than 220 people who are available and funded from Switzerland. The training and equipment of foreign troops is provided by the Center Swissint of the Swiss Army in Stans-Oberdorf.

The term Swisscoy (Swiss Company) has become misleading, since it has only acted as a single company during deployment in the period 1999-2003. Today, the Swiss team is managed as two companies: one infantry company and one logistics company. There are also several smaller detachments under its OPCON. The total line has a National Contingent Commander (NCC) with his staff.

Places
From 1999 to 2012, the majority of the association was stationed in a former rubber factory at Suva Reka. (The so-called Camp Casablanca) The name originates from the white color of the living containers and has been transmitted as radio Casablanca, jointly produced by the Swiss, Austrians and Germans.

The Camp Casablanca was dissolved in 2012 Switzerland is present in four camps. These include "Camp Film City" (Pristina), "Camp Novo Selo" (near Metrovica), "Field Camp Prizren" (Prizren) and in "Camp Bondsteel" (Urosevac).

Structure
The Swiss contingent consisted of an infantry company and a logistics company. In addition, there are several imputed smaller detachments known as "OPCON." After the infantry units were withdrawn in mid-August 2012, Switzerland was represented only by the logistics company in Kosovo.

Tasks
The focus of the logistics company are water treatment, material and fuel supply, camp maintenance, road transport, communication and food supply for Swisscoy. Other important tasks may also include protection of the infantry company, the camp security, the patrol activity and ethnic minorities in Kosovo. The Swiss infantry company was established on February 1, 2010. Three Austrian companies were also established at that time; the Dulje maneuver battalion and Multinational Task Force South (MNTF (S)) of KFOR was used. Since February 1, 2010, the Swiss infantry company has been directly subordinated to the MNBG (S).

The infantry was disbanded in mid-August 2012.

Two helicopters of the type Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma are currently at the MNBG (S) for transport tasks.

Armament
Before the entry revision of the Military Act in 2001 (Article 66a MG), the Swisscoy soldiers were armed only for self-protection, with military permission of carrying their personal weapon (gun SIG P220 or assault rifle Stgw 90) just outside the camp. When working inside the camp, weapons were assigned to special containers. The new Article 66a MG s was possible in the form of an infantry company to participate in the actual tasks of guarding Battalion. After this the Swisscoy was able to use the Mowag Piranha 8x8APC and the Mowag DuroIIIP.