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.
Doctors Without Borders demands Swiss Gaza clarification
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The NGO Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has challenged Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis to explain his controversial Gaza statements.
Data centres use four times more electricity than average
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The power consumption of data centres, used in particular for AI, is four times higher than average, warns the International Telecommunication Union.
One in five bee colonies failed to survive Swiss winter
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Almost a fifth of bee colonies in Switzerland failed to survive the winter. Losses have been greater than in previous years.
Switzerland condemns deadly attack on UN convoy in Sudan
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Switzerland has strongly condemned the deadly attack on a United Nations humanitarian convoy in Sudan. Five people were killed, wrote the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) on Platform X.
Most over-65s in Switzerland regularly use the internet
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The digital divide is narrowing faster than expected in Switzerland. A study published on Wednesday reveals that nine out of ten over-65s use the internet.
Will Swiss president be forbidden from speaking English to counterparts?
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Switzerland's president, Karin Keller-Sutter, should use one of the country's four national languages when communicating with international organisations, and not English, according to a motion that passed on Wednesday.
Swiss parliament approves purchase of F-35 jets from US
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The decision clears the path for Bern to sign the purchase contract, despite a pending initiative on the issue of Swiss fighter jets.
Swiss voters could have final say on buying new US fighter jets
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A left-wing coalition has gathered enough signatures to challenge the government’s plan to buy F-35A fighter jets from the US.
Swiss fighter jet document reveals secret French tax offer
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France allegedly offered Switzerland a financial sweetener worth CHF3.5 billion to buy its Rafale fighter jets rather than US F-35A aircraft.
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