Swiss Army Orders Study to Reactivate Disused Bunkers for Secure Storage Amid Rising Security Needs
Switzerland's Federal Defence Department has ordered Armasuisse to study reactivating disused military bunkers for secure storage of supplies and hazardous materials, launching a public tender focused on speed and cost as protection needs rise.
The Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) has directed the Federal Office for Armament (Armasuisse) to conduct a study evaluating whether disused military underground installations can be reactivated for secure storage use. The department ordered Armasuisse to assess how former bunker sites could be repurposed to support protection and resilience requirements, initiating an internal review aimed at determining if existing subterranean infrastructure can be leveraged to address current defence needs.
The scope of potential reactivation covers a broad range of strategic inventory that would benefit from hardened storage conditions. The proposed mandate would enable secure storage for supplies, spare parts, medicines, electronic equipment, hazardous materials, and ammunition across the selected installations, indicating that the military is considering these facilities as critical nodes for preserving sensitive assets rather than relying solely on surface-level logistics. The inclusion of hazardous materials and electronic gear points to a focus on protecting inventory that requires environmental control or physical security beyond standard depots.
Officials have tied this infrastructure assessment directly to evolving threat levels. In communications with RTS broadcaster, the Federal Defence Department articulated that the need for protection, resilience, and secure storage has increased, a directive that prompted Armasuisse to launch a public tender focused on reactivating facilities quickly and cost-effectively. The army is examining the revival of former military bunkers with this operational constraint in mind, seeking storage solutions that can be accelerated without compromising economic viability.
The examination requires validating structural integrity against strategic goals. Reactivating disused installations demands rigorous assessment to ensure they meet modern security standards while avoiding prohibitive rehabilitation costs. If the study confirms these subterranean sites can be brought back online efficiently, the defence apparatus could leverage existing capacity to buffer critical reserves against supply chain disruptions without diverting funds from active procurement programs.
Economic and operational parameters established in the tender will determine which facilities advance beyond evaluation. Armasuisse’s focus on speed and cost means only those installations offering a clear path to functional storage will likely proceed, filtering out sites where restoration timelines or expenses exceed reasonable thresholds. This approach filters the potential reactivation list down to opportunities where immediate security gains can be realized within sustainable budget boundaries.
As the study progresses, the department must balance the urgent requirement for enhanced secure storage against the realities of working with legacy military infrastructure. The results will dictate whether these disused bunkers become operational nodes in Switzerland’s defence supply chain or remain dormant assets. Until the tender process yields definitive assessments, the revival effort remains an exploratory measure aimed at maximizing protective capacity through the adaptive reuse of verified underground facilities.