Swiss Infantry Platoon (2019)

Military Organization > Switzerland > Swiss Infantry Platoon (2019)

Update: 9 May 2026

Part of: Infantry Company of the Infantry Battalion (Territorial Division)

Type: Motorized Infantry

Time Frame: 2019-Present (Modern)

Personnel: 1-2 Officers, 46-47 Other Ranks

The following is the organization of the Swiss Army Infantry Platoon as it applies to its Territorial Division Infantry Battalions in 2018/19. These are motorized infantry, mounted in either a variant of the MOWAG Piranha IIC (APC-93) or the MOWAG Duro IIIP (GMTF 11 Pl/2t 6x6 gl). The vehicles are more or less interchangeable with the same personnel and equipment for both types of vehicles, but vary in application depending on environment.

Generally, each Infantry Company has four Infantry Platoons (this), while each Infantry Battalion has a Staff Company, three Infantry Companies, and a Combat Support Company with 81mm mortars and snipers. This information broadly applies to units in Infantry Battalions, Mountain Battalions (Gebirgsinfanterie and Gebirgsschützen), and the Carbiniers Battalion. Territorial Divisions generally have four to five of such battalions, in addition to a Divisional Staff Battalion, Engineer Battalion, and Search & Rescue Battalion. This makes the regionally-based Territorial Divisions the size of large brigades or very small divisions.

↓ Organization

Vehicle One (Spz 93 or GMTF)

Vehicle Crew

1× Platoon Leader, Leutnant or Oberleutnant, armed with 1 Stgw 90 Rifle

1× Vehicle Machine Gunner, Soldat/Gefreiter, armed with 1 Stgw 90 Rifle

1× Driver, Soldat/Gefreiter, armed with a 1 Stgw 90 Rifle

Troop Alpha

1× Group Leader, Wachtmeister, armed with 1 Stgw 90 Rifle with Kern Aarau 4x24 scope

1× Machine Gunner, Soldat/Gefreiter, armed with 1 LMg 05 Light Machine Gun

1× Anti-Tank Rifleman, Soldat/Gefreiter, armed with 1 Stgw 90 Rifle and Panzerfaust 3 or RGW 90 HH (RGW was just starting to replace Panzerfaust 3 at this time)

1× Rifleman, Soldat/Gefreiter, armed with 1 Stgw 90 Rifle with GwA 97 Grenade Launcher

Troop Bravo

1× Troop Leader, Soldat/Gefreiter, armed with 1 Stgw 90 Rifle with Kern Aarau 4x24 scope

1× Machine Gunner, Soldat/Gefreiter, armed with 1 LMg 05 Light Machine Gun

1× Anti-Tank Rifleman, Soldat/Gefreiter, armed with 1 Stgw 90 Rifle and Panzerfaust 3 or RGW 90 HH

1× Rifleman/Breacher, Soldat/Gefreiter, armed with 1 Stgw 90 Rifle with GwA 97 Grenade Launcher

Vehicle Two

Vehicle Crew

1× Vehicle Commander, Wachtmeister, armed with 1 Stgw 90 Rifle

1× Vehicle Machine Gunner, Soldat/Gefreiter, armed with 1 Stgw 90 Rifle

1× Driver, Soldat/Gefreiter, armed with a 1 Stgw 90 Rifle

(same Dismounted Group)

Vehicle Three

Vehicle Crew

1× Deputy Platoon Leader, Oberwachtmeister/Leutnant, armed with 1 Stgw 90 Rifle

1× Vehicle Machine Gunner, Soldat/Gefreiter, armed with 1 Stgw 90 Rifle

1× Driver, Soldat/Gefreiter, armed with a 1 Stgw 90 Rifle

(same Dismounted Group)

Vehicle Four

Vehicle Crew

1× Vehicle Commander, Wachtmeister, armed with 1 Stgw 90 Rifle

1× Vehicle Machine Gunner, Soldat/Gefreiter, armed with 1 Stgw 90 Rifle

1× Driver, Soldat/Gefreiter, armed with a 1 Stgw 90 Rifle

(same Dismounted Group)

Material Group

4× Lastwagen leicht (Light Trucks with Trailers)

2× Infantry Crew Drivers

2× Drivers C1

↓ Discussion

​The Swiss Army Infantry Platoon is a motorized infantry formation and one of the fundamental close combat elements of Switzerland's Territorial Infantry Battalions. These battalions are part of one of four Territorial Divisions, which are tied to Territorial Regions for the purposes of regional defense and coordinating civilian-military operations in a given area. These divisions are in addition to the Army (Heer), which consists of three Mechanized Brigades composed principally of Panzer and Mechanized Battalions (each with two Panzer Companies with Leopard 2A4s and two Panzergrenadier Companies with CV9030s) and Reconnaissance Battalions (with three Recce Companies mounted in MOWAG Eagles).

The platoon itself consists of four vehicles and four dismounted Infantry Groups (Infanteriegruppe in German and Groupe de combat d’Infanterie in French). These may be a mix of Spz 93s (a variant of the MOWAG Piranha IIC 8x8 armored personnel carrier) or the GMTF 11 Pl/2t 6x6 gl (a variant of the MOWAG DURO IIIP 6x6). Both are armed with M2HB 12.7mm heavy machine guns (designated Mg 64 in Swiss service) and vehicle crews are trained to operate both. Generally speaking, the Piranha seems to be preferred for operations in the countryside while the DURO is preferred for urban operations, although this may not be entirely prescriptive. On 2012 infantry battalion manual states that 2 platoons per company ought to have Spz 93s while 1 platoon has GMTF. In practice platoons will often be a mix of the two during basic training and refresher courses (WK), one example being 2 Spz 93 and 2 GMTF being centrally allocated for training.

These vehicles are split into two sections, whose structure is mirrored on the dismount. The first section is led by the Platoon Leader, who is typically a Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant) or Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant) while the second section is led by the Deputy Platoon Leader, typically an Oberwachtmeister (Sergeant First Class) or Leutnant. Both act as vehicle commanders. When the platoon dismounts, either could remain mounted to command the vehicles depending on the orders of the Platoon Leader. However, if both dismount, command of the mounted element passes over to the senior-most Vehicle Commander. Vehicle Commanders are equivalent in rank and status to Group Leaders, both being Wachtmeister (Sergeant) who receive 4 weeks of NCO training after their 18 weeks of basic training. As such, neither is superior to the other, although when mounted the Vehicle Commanders are the ones taking orders from platoon leadership. Further, on the dismount, the vehicles generally act as a separate entity from the dismounts under platoon orders rather than group orders. The vehicles are further crewed by a Machine Gunner (who mans the remote machine gun on both vehicles) and a Driver.

Each dismount Infantry Group meanwhile consists of eight personnel. They are split into two troops or teams (équipe or troupe in French and trupp in German) each under a leader. There appears to be some variation in how things are organized and who is equipped with what as several Swiss servicemembers have given conflicting reports of what their units do, so I am reporting what seems to be the most generally true.

Doctrinally the Group Leader is in Alpha and the Troop Leader (second-in-command) is in Bravo. However a common variation was the reverse to reflect the fact that in formations and when breaching buildings the Troop Leader's team leads while the Group Leader's follows and supports. However, this is semantic and the name doesn't change their tactical roles.

Teams further consist of a Machine Gunner with the LMg 05 (Minimi), Anti-Tank Specialist with Stgw 90 Rifle and Panzerfaust 3 (soon to be replaced by RGW 90 HH), and a Breacher with Stgw 90 and GwA 97 underbarrel grenade launcher. Some written TTPs actually prescribe the GwA 97 to the Anti-Tank Specialist, but all but one Swiss servicemember I've spoken to states that grenade launcher training is specifically part of the Breacher's pipeline. Because Swiss mandatory service is so short the team members are highly specialized with little or no crosstraining. The 4 specialties available to infantrymen during basic/specialist training are Command Specialist (Kdo Spez), LMG, Anti-Tank Specialist (SMW), and Breacher. The Troop Leader has the Kdo Spez specialty, which also includes designated marksman training. That's why they and the Group Leader are pictured with the Kern Aarau 4x24 optic. The Group Leader, who volunteers or is voluntold for 4 weeks of additional NCO training, was one of those specialties. Thus while I have been told there is some unit-to-unit variation (like the 2nd Breacher actually being a Marksman, and the Troop Leader not being a Marksman) I've pictured the most common version.

The Machine Gunners meanwhile are equipped with the LMg 05, a short-barreled variant of the FN Minimi belt-fed light achine gun chambered in 5.56x45mm. They appear to usually be equipped with EOTech Holographic sights as well. Next up, the Anti-Tank Riflemen may be armed with a variety of weapon systems. Since 2019, they have been at least armed with Stgw 90 rifles and GwA 97 under-barrel grenade launchers (these used to be issued to the Riflemen). However—again with unit variation—sometimes a grenade launcher goes to a Rifleman instead. AT Riflemen may further be equipped with either a Panzerfaust 3 or MATADOR in the future. The MATADOR may provide specificity for operations in urban environments with its HESH/HEAT rounds, but we are unsure if they will be replacing the Pzf 3 eventually in the motorized infantry. Each AT Rifleman carries only one munition.

Rounding out the dismount groups are two Breachers, one per troop. Both are armed with Stgw 90 rifles, but may be assigned other specialty functions. For example, there is usually one breacher/demolitions specialists in the group who is responsible for explosives and operating breaching kits. Another Rifleman could operate a 6cm mortar for signalling and illumination at night as well. Although I've been told more recently (2026) that usually the Troop Leader uses it, it doesn't seem to have a doctrinal user.

The Group Leader and Vehicle Commander are the only NCOs in the squad (Sergeant or Wachtmeister). However, they are not more experienced outside of a 4 week course. All other soldiers can rank Private (Soldat) or Gefreiter/Appointé. Generally, the ranks don't matter as a matter of authority. Troop Leaders derived their leadership authority from their specialty rather than seniority, and there are a limited number of Gefreiter slots per company that are given out mainly for being motivated and competent at the commander's discretion. A Troop Leader could be a Gefreiter, but it could also be a Driver, or a platoon might not have any at all because they suck and another platoon is better.

↓ Main Sources

• Consultation with multiple Swiss Army servicemembers

• Reglement 53.005 d "Einsatz der Infanterie, Teil 1: Grundlagen, Führung und Einsatz des Bataillons" (9 May 2012)