Patriot system can be scrapped, warns Swiss defence minister

The Patriot system can be abandoned, says Martin Pfister Keystone-SDA

The Swiss government could abandon the purchase of the United States Patriot air defence system, defence minister Martin Pfister has warned.

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Switzerland has already suspended payments of the ordered system because of a delay in delivery. But last week, the government confirmed that the US was circumventing the freeze by transferring Swiss payments for F-35 fighter jets to the Patriot air defence system account.

“A waiver is always an option in the event of a delay”, said Pfister on the sidelines of a press conference. What this would mean for payments already made is still uncertain.

“We are still working on the assumption that it will be delivered, but we don’t know when,” added Pfister. His department is negotiating all options with the US. “A possible abandonment is part of that, but we don’t know the conditions.”

The redefinition of US priorities has “profoundly altered the contractual basis”, said the Federal Council in a statement. Because of the delays, Switzerland has not made any payments to the Patriot System Trust Fund since last autumn.

Misappropriated payments

The US directing F-35 payments to the Patriot fund is “highly unsatisfactory” in the eyes of the director general of armaments Urs Loher. The amount involved is several hundred million Swiss francs.

On Wednesday, the Federal Council indicated that the suspension of payments would be maintained until the US announces new delivery dates and payment deadlines.

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A decision on the purchase of the Patriot should be taken by the end of June. At the beginning of March, the Federal Council announced its intention to purchase a second ground-air defence system in order to “ensure effective air defence”.

Translated from German by AI/mga

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