GENEVA, May 1 (Xinhua) -- The Swiss army has commandeered around 2,000 soldiers and heavy artillery for the biggest military maneuver in Switzerland since the end of the Cold War, the Federal Department of Defense said Tuesday.
It is taking place in northeastern Switzerland, between Lake Constance and the Santis Alps, beginning on Monday and continuing until Wednesday.
Such a military maneuver using the mechanized 4th Brigade and heavy artillery has not taken place since the end of the Cold War, the defense department said.
However, army officials said the exercises cannot be compared to Cold War-style training.
"Now it is a question of further developing the army's defense capability, including perhaps on a smaller scale.
"That's why we're practicing on a smaller scale," said Georg Hasler, spokesperson for the Mechanized 4th Brigade, the Swiss national broadcaster SRF reported.
According to Alexander Kohli, the brigadier in charge of the military exercises, two reconnaissance battalions are competing against each other and an artillery division is involved.
Residents will have to put up with additional traffic due to the maneuvers, including military tanks.
In addition, two F/A-18 fighter planes will undertake low-level flights, but supersonic flights are not planned.
