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SwissP Defence

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SwissP Defence AG
Company typePrivate
IndustryProduction of small caliber ammunition
Founded1863 in Thun, Switzerland
FounderHans Herzog[1]
Headquarters
Thun
,
Switzerland
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Hannes Hauri (CEO)[2]
RevenueCH₣ 111  million (2024[3])
Number of employees
360 (2024[3])
ParentBeretta Holding
Websiteswisspdefence.com

SwissP Defence AG is a Swiss manufacturer of small caliber ammunition. Based in Thun, the company is owned by Beretta and is the legal successor to the Eidgenössische Munitionsfabrik Thun (lit. 'Federal Munitions Factory Thun').[4] It gained its current name in 2022, when Baretta acquired the RUAG Ammotec division of the Swiss arms manufacturer RUAG.

History

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The roots of the ammunition company go back to the Steffisburg powder mill, which was founded in 1586.[5] The actual history of SwissP Defence began in 1863, when Hans Herzog established the Federal Laboratory in Thun.[1] From 1874 to 1995, the company operated under the name Eidgenössische Munitionsfabrik Thun.[1] During World War I, up to 2050 people were employed by the company,[6] and during World War II, up to 2400[7] and 2450 respectively.[8]

After several mergers, the Thun-based ammunition manufacturer became part of RUAG's small-caliber division in 2002[9] and operated as RUAG Ammotec,[1] which also included a German branch (today: RWS GmbH). Beretta acquired RUAG Ammotec in 2022.[10] The Swiss branch has been called SwissP Defence since the end of 2022.[11]

On 1 October 2024, Hannes Hauri became the new CEO of SwissP. Hauri was previously criticized by the Swiss Federal Audit Office for his role in a corruption scandal at RUAG. As the line manager of the employee who allegedly fraudulently sold Leopard 1 parts at below-market prices, Hauri warned the employee of anonymous accusations. Blick reported that internal company documents accused Hauri of "insufficient leadership and documentation", but noted that this seemed to have no impact on his career.[12][13]

As part of the purchase of RUAG Ammotec, Beretta guaranteed to maintain the factory in Thun for at least five years. Two years later, in 2024, SwissP threatened to close the factory in Thun, citing increasingly restrictive export controls and falling orders from the Swiss Armed Forces. In response, the Swiss Federal Department of Defence increased its ammunition orders, despite aiming to cut procurement costs.[14]

In March 2025, SwissP fired 22 employees. It is reportedly the only loss-making Baretta factory. The Tages-Anzeiger reported on the firings in the context of collapsing revenue among Swiss arms exporters due to strict export restrictions, especially in the aftermath of the 2022 Federal Council decision to bar the re-export of Swiss-made ammunition for the Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft gun from Germany to Ukraine.[15][16]

Products and customers

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The company's ammunition is marketed under the "SWISS P" brand. This is primarily ammunition for snipers. Bullet types are supplied in all common calibers. The company also offers system solutions for handguns. These include customized special weapons, silencers, optical sights and other accessories.[17]

The SwissP's customers are armed forces and law enforcement authorities.[18][19] In 2025, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung reported that SwissP had been developing a more powerful version of the GP 90, the standard ammunition of the Swiss Armed Forces, capable of penetrating bulletproof vests. It is unclear if the Swiss Armed Forces or NATO is interested in purchasing the new ammunition.[20]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "1863 – 1988: 125 Jahre Eidg. Munitionsfabrik Thun. Ein Video aus dem Jahr 1988 als Zeitdokument" [1863 - 1988: 125 years of the Federal Ammunition Factory Thun. A video from 1988 as a contemporary document]. armeemuseum.ch (in Swiss High German). Verein Schweizer Armeemuseum. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  2. ^ Rauch, Raphael (2024-09-02). "Amherd weiss seit 2019 von den Korruptionsvorwürfen" [Amherd has known about the corruption allegations since 2019]. Sonntagsblick (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  3. ^ a b "SwissP Defence bei der Enforce Tac 2025" [SwissP Defense at Enforce Tac 2025]. blaulicht-iv.ch. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  4. ^ Nunziata, Felice; De Felicis, Daniele; Donghi, Matteo; Bemporad, Edoardo; Capone, Brenda; Palumbo, Giancarlo; Rotter, Gabriele (2024). "Structural segregation in GSR from mercuric primers. A preliminary study". Forensic Science International. 355 (Feb). doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.111931. PMID 38232575.
  5. ^ Surber, Kaspar (2022-08-25). "Das Weltall ist noch weit, und der Rest ist schon verteilt" [The universe is still far away, and the rest is already distributed]. WOZ Die Wochenzeitung (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  6. ^ 100 Jahre Eidg. Munitionsfabrik Thun. 1863–1963, Thun 1963, p. 33.
  7. ^ de Weck, Hervé (2011-04-14). "Rüstungsbetriebe" [Armaments companies] (in Swiss High German). Historical Dictionary of Switzerland. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  8. ^ 100 Jahre Eidg. Munitionsfabrik Thun. 1863–1963, Thun 1963, p. 47.
  9. ^ Kahrs, Phil (2022-02-23). "RUAG Ammotec bald nicht mehr in staatlicher Hand" [RUAG Ammotec soon no longer state-owned]. Pirsch. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  10. ^ "RUAG Ammotec gehört zu Beretta" [RUAG Ammotec belongs to Beretta]. esut.de. 2022-08-05. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  11. ^ Geiger, Waldemar (2022-11-03). "SwissP Defence – RUAG Ammotec firmiert unter neuem Namen" [SwissP Defence - RUAG Ammotec operates under a new name] (in German). Soldat und Technik. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  12. ^ Rauch, Raphael (2024-09-22). "Viola Amherd weiss seit 2019 von Korruptionsvorwüfen bei der Ruag". Blick (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  13. ^ Baumer, Matthias (24 February 2025). "Ruag: Betrug und Millionenschaden". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) (in German). Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  14. ^ "Munitionsfabrik vor dem Aus? - Beretta-Konzern droht mit Ende der Munitionsproduktion in Thun". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) (in German). Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  15. ^ Novak, Eva (2025-03-08). "Waffenhersteller in der Krise: Die Rüstungsindustrie hebt weltweit ab – in der Schweiz brechen die Verkäufe zusammen". Tages-Anzeiger (in German). Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  16. ^ "Keine Zustimmung zu einer Weitergabe von Schweizer Kriegsmaterial an die Ukraine". News Service Bund. 3 November 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
  17. ^ "Revolutionary Hybrid Cases: SwissP Defence AG Introduces Groundbreaking Technology". edrmagazine.eu. 2024-02-26. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  18. ^ "Ruag Ammotec heisst jetzt SwissP Defence" [Ruag Ammotec is now called SwissP Defence]. Berner Zeitung (in Swiss High German). 2022-11-03.
  19. ^ admin (2024-03-12). "SwissP Defence AG Introduces SWISS P Hybrid Case - MilitaryLeak.COM". militaryleak.com. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  20. ^ Berner, Selina (2025-02-25). "Schweizer Armee ohne kriegstaugliche Munition – eine Firma in Thun will das ändern". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in Swiss High German). ISSN 0376-6829. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
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