Emmen Air Base

Militärflugplatz Emmen is a Swiss Air Force airfield located north of Emmen and northwest of Lucerne. Following development projects initiated in the 1920s, the Municipal Assembly of Emmen authorized funding for the airfield’s construction in 1938. The first landing occurred on 7 July 1939. The facility served as the production and testing site for the N-20.2 Arbalète, the first jet fighter manufactured by F+W Emmen. Historically, the base has hosted multiple Swiss Air Force aircraft types, including the de Havilland Vampire, de Havilland Venom, Aérospatiale Alouette II and III, Hawker Hunter, and Dassault Mirage IIIS and IIIRS.

The Swiss Air Force utilizes the airfield as a training and alternate base for jet and propeller-driven aircraft. It is the home base for the Patrouille Suisse aerobatic team and serves as a site for Pilatus PC-21 fighter pilot training. Transport squadrons operate from the facility, which also supports charter flights for Kosovo Force (KFOR) personnel. The base hosts reconnaissance drone training and courses for the ADS95 RUAG Ranger UAV. Armasuisse uses the installation for test and trial flights and stations its fleet of Pilatus PC-12, PC-6, and Diamond DA42 aircraft at the site. Air traffic control is managed by Skyguide National.

Infrastructure includes retractable arresting gear systems designed for F/A-18C Hornet and F-5E Tiger II operations. The airfield houses a simulator training center for the Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma, Eurocopter EC 635, and Pilatus PC-21. RUAG Aviation maintains a presence for factory flights and utilizes the airfield for the transport of aerospace components, involving heavy lift aircraft such as the Antonov An-124. Civil use is permitted on a restricted basis under managed flight movement quotas.