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The DDPS provides more precise data on the noise pollution of the new fighter jet. “Unacceptable,” say opponents and threaten legal action.
If you had to break down the latest report on the noise pollution of the new fighter jet into one sentence – it could be: Everything stays as it is.
At the beginning of 2022, the Defense Department VBS informed about the noise pollution from the F-35 around the three military airfields Emmen (LU), Meiringen (BE) and Payerne (VD).
The results: The new fighter jet is louder than the previous F/A-18 – specifically, it is three decibels louder when taking off. However, because the number of take-offs and landings will be halved in the future, overall noise pollution should not increase.
More noise in Payerne
Now, almost two years later, the DDPS is providing new results on noise pollution – these are based on a new calculation model from the Swiss Federal Materials Testing and Research Institute Empa. Although they are more precise than those from 2022, they ultimately come to a similar conclusion.
“Although an individual event for an F-35 take-off is a little louder, the annual burden remains roughly at today’s level due to the significant reduction in the number of flight movements,” writes the DDBS.
In Emmen the overall noise pollution does not change, in Meiringen it decreases slightly and in Payerne it increases slightly.
The DDPS is currently informing the affected communities around the military airfields. “We try to optimize where possible, for example by installing soundproof windows,” says Bruno Locher, Head of Space and Environment at VBS, to Radio SRF. “But if someone doesn’t want the airfield and the fighter jet, we can’t do anything.”
No longer understanding your own words
There is resistance to the new fighter jet in several places. For example, from the interest group for less aircraft noise in the Alpine region (IGF Alpine region), which has been fighting against aircraft noise for decades. Board member Samuel Hunziker says: “Many are afraid of what lies ahead with the F-35.” A specific fear is that people will no longer be able to understand their own words when there is noise at the start.
The VBS calculations are not based on effective noise pressure – they are purely theoretical.
Hunziker does not doubt the correctness of the VBS data. “But the VBS calculations are based on a theoretical average value and not on an effective noise value, on the individual event.” Noise measurements from the USA showed that the F-35 was “massively louder” than its predecessor.
Legend:
The Meiringen military airfield in the Bernese Oberland is surrounded by Alpine peaks; this has an influence on noise pollution.
Keystone/Urs Flüeler
The IGF’s demand: “The F-35 is not designed for a narrow mountain valley. That’s why we will fight against it using legal means.”
Clear demand: more jobs
There is also resistance in Payerne. Nicolas Kilchoer, chief magistrate of the Broye district, says: “For us, the additional noise is unacceptable.” He calls for the number of annual flight movements to be reduced. “It has to be even fewer than the announced 4,200.”
He also demands – to compensate for the noise – that all maintenance of the F-35 be done in Payerne so that there are more jobs.