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Parts of a crashed Swiss drone have been found in the Nagorno-Karabakh war zone between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Radio SRF has received photos from Armenian journalists showing a Swiss-made actuator.
“Swiss Made” is a quality label. The industry likes to use it to show that work has been done accurately, like Tell’s crossbow shot down the block. Whether the “Swiss Made” label remains on weapon parts on the battlefield after a war, doubts remain.
Compliance with export control regulations
In this specific case, it should not be underestimated: the Armenian side lost the war for Nagorno-Karabakh. He seeks explanations and finds himself in the arms of the Azerbaijani troops. Within a few days, the Azerbaijani army was able to dominate the Armenian troops, mainly thanks to the use of drones.
Armenians want to know who is still a friend and who is an enemy. Therefore, it is quite possible that Armenia will ask the Swiss ambassador in Yerevan to explain why part of an Israeli drone used by hostile neighbor Azerbaijan was apparently partly “made in Switzerland.”
What we know so far, nothing illegal has happened in Switzerland. Manufacturer Faulhaber emphasized this in a statement Monday afternoon to SRF. Based on the serial number of one of the photos posted from Armenia, the company was able to “unequivocally verify that all applicable export control regulations were met during delivery.”
The Swiss actuator discovered in Nagorno-Karabakh, probably for the wing folding mechanism, is not subject to any export control. It does not belong to the category of war material, nor is it a aptly named dual-use product, that is, a product that could be used both militarily and civilly. According to the Secretary of State for the Economy (Seco), it is a standard industrial product, so simple that it can be sold anywhere.
If Armenia demands a response from Switzerland, the Swiss ambassador will probably have to respond: Sorry, but it was just a simple industrial product. Legally correct, but the damage to foreign policy remains.
What can be done to prevent this?
The war in Nagorno-Karabakh has shown that drones have become a widely used means of warfare. They are cheaper, safer, and militarily efficient. Switzerland, with its high-tech industry, is developing products that can also be used in military drones. And if they are standard industrial products, they can be shipped from Switzerland via Israel to Azerbaijan without a permit.
Politicians could tighten the thumbscrews and determine that all industrial products should be more precisely controlled for use and country of destination. The economy will be opposed, so the lubricating oil in a tank would also have to be subject to a control: it is not possible.
The alternative is that Switzerland is getting used to the fact that the “Swiss Made” label goes along with the drone wars.
Tobias Gasser
Inland-Editor
