Switzerland exported war materiel worth a record SFr873 million ($973.5 million) last year, according to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco).
The increase of 36 per cent on 2010 is due to the sale of 25 Swiss-built Pilatus PC-21 training aircraft to the United Arab Emirates.
A Seco statement on Tuesday said the sale of aircraft was listed in the war materiel statistics because it could not be ruled out that the PC-21 plane could be adapted with fixed points for weapons.
Switzerland exported war materiel to a total of 68 countries, including neighbouring Germany and Italy, as well as Belgium and Spain. Such exports are subject to approval by the state.
Seco added that it “exercised restraint” for exports of war materiel to countries in North Africa and the Middle East, notably Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt.
The pacifist Switzerland without an Army group criticised the government for ignoring the country’s humanitarian tradition.
In 2009, voters overwhelmingly rejected a proposal by pacifists and centre-right parties to ban arms exports.
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Global sales of arms to 69 countries totalled SFr640.5 million ($681.8 million), the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) said on Tuesday. Sales were boosted by two big contracts: the partial delivery of air defence systems worth SFr132.6 million to Saudi Arabia and SFr128.7 million of vehicles to Germany and Belgium. Against the background of…
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Exports were down in the first half of this year, which some parliamentarians say is the result of banning sales to countries involved in armed conflict or which “systematically and severely violate human rights”. Centre-right parliamentarians Bruno Frick (Christian Democrat) and Sylvie Perrinjaquet (Radical Party) have both submitted motions to cabinet asking it to compare…
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The government in its official information brochure for voters describes its policy of trading war material as restrictive, transparent, tough and not open to frequent abuses. Throughout its campaign the pacifist group for a Switzerland without an Army has tried to undermine the clean Swiss image. It has published a report by Human Rights Watch…
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In 1939, deep in the heart of Switzerland, a maintenance facility was set up to service Swiss Airforce planes. The small company from Stans in Nidwalden became an important player in the niche aviation market, producing both military and business aircraft for international clients. (Julie Hunt, swissinfo.ch 2006)
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.