Swisscoy

Consisting of a contingent of 195 troops at most, the unit is deployed in Kosovo as part of the NATO-led KFOR international peacekeeping force.

This mission is carried out within the context of the military cooperation programme Partnership for Peace between NATO and various non-member states.

SWISSCOY's mission is based on the decision of the Federal Council of 23 June 1999 to participate military in KFOR – on the basis of UN Resolution 1244.

While emergency aid and rebuilding after the war still stood to the fore at the beginning of the mission, the focus today is on safeguarding the development of the country.

The task of the LMTs consists in collecting information by talking to inhabitants and key figures (e.g. political representatives) and passing it on via JRD to the KFOR commander who, among other things, uses these reports to assess the situation and as a basis for operational decisions.

Both the transport coy and the engineer platoon are assigned to KFOR's Joint Logistic Support Group (JLSG).

The other section of SWISSCOY accomplishes missions that are both purely national and bi-national in cooperation with partner countries.

Two further LMTs are stationed in the north of Kosovo in camp Novo Selo, south of Mitrovica and operate in various allocated areas of responsibility.

The range of courses is extensive and is devised to satisfy both national and international as well as civilian and military interests.

Among other things, the military training area in Stans-Oberdorf and camp Swissint, which provides accommodation for 180 persons in about 200 containers.

For their own protection SWISSCOY personnel are equipped with pistol and/or assault rifle as well as pepper spray in the Kosovo area of operations.