Upkeep is reasonable
Protective structures were designed primarily to protect the population, and to ensure the readiness of civil protection resources during an armed conflict, especially one involving weapons of mass destruction. They provide a basic form of protection against a wide range of direct and indirect arms impact. At present, an armed conflict with direct repercussions in Switzerland would most probably be preceded by an advance-warning period of several years. This implies that in the short term there is no real use for existing protective structures. On the other hand, there are still a great number of ballistic missiles, with or without weapons of mass destruction, to be found worldwide. Although the deployment of such weapons against Switzerland seems highly unlikely at present, it cannot be completely ruled out in the future. In the long term, and since no alternative safety measures are planned, protective structures should therefore not be made obsolete. The time it would require to build new ones if an armed conflict seemed imminent, would definitely overstep the advance-warning period we assume today. Protective structures have a lifespan of several decades and are inexpensive to maintain. Their upkeep is therefore reasonable.
Readiness can be reduced
Existing protective structures operated by Protection & support (P&S) units are to be maintained in principle. However, in view of the evolution of hazards and their advance warning times, readiness could be reduced to an adequate level in differentiated manner to save on costs of operation and maintenance.