Swiss Army ramps up drone defence systems after sightings

(Reuters) -Switzerland said on Friday it is beefing up its anti-drone defence systems to safeguard military infrastructure following a recent increase in drone sightings in Europe.

The Swiss Army has tasked the federal office for defence procurement, armasuisse, with acquiring the systems following successful field trials this summer, the government said.

"Based on these findings and in response to the increasing number of drone sightings," the Army had instructed armasuisse to prioritize procurement of defense systems against micro and mini drones, the government said in a statement.

Separately, armasuisse has signed framework agreements with three suppliers for commercial mini drones, accessories and services worth around 108 million Swiss francs ($136 million), it added. It did not name the suppliers.

The announcement comes a day after Swiss Defence Minister Martin Pfister met with his German counterpart and warned about the increasing threat drones posed.

On Friday, drone sightings at Munich airport overnight led to the cancellation and diversion of dozens of flights.

($1 = 0.7966 Swiss francs)

(Reporting by Marleen Kaesebier in GdanskEditing by Dave Graham)