Controversial Swiss fighter jet deal signed off

The F-35A fighter jet purchase saga has rumbled on controversially for years. © Keystone / Urs Flueeler

Swiss officials have signed a deal with the United States to buy a fleet of F-35A fighter jets in the face of an ongoing row about their procurement.

The Federal Armaments Office (Armasuisse) rubber stamped the purchase of 36 jets on Monday after years of national debate on the issue.

“In addition to the aircraft, the procurement cost of the F-35As also covers mission specific equipment, weapons and ammunition, a logistics package, mission planning systems, training systems and initial training,” the government said in a press releaseExternal link, adding that the final bill accounted for inflation in the US and will not rise.

A separate deal was signed with aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin to offset part of the CHF6 billion ($6.2 billion) costs with a series of contracts for Swiss companies amounting to CHF2.9 billion.

The F-35A deal was approved by parliament in 2019 and was rubber stamped by Swiss voters the following year. But another popular initiative, taking aim at the specific choice of aircraft, has gathered enough signatures to force a new referendum to challenge the sale.

The government decided controversially to go ahead with the F-35A procurement contract without waiting for the result of this particular vote.

The procurement was shrouded in more controversy in the summer by media revelations of a last-ditch French counter-offer and stories of animosity between Swiss government departments.

But the federal audit office and parliamentary committees have concluded that while the procurement procedure was flawed, it did not break any laws.