Swiss Opposition to US Fighter-Jet Deal Hardens, Poll Shows
(Bloomberg) — Almost two-thirds of Swiss voters want to ditch a deal to buy F-35 fighter jets, after a parliamentary report last month said that claims the contract had a fixed price weren’t true.
In a referendum six years ago, the Swiss narrowly voted in favor of spending 6 billion Swiss francs ($7.2 billion) to replace the country’s aging jet fighter fleet. Lockheed Martin Corp. was chosen the following year as the supplier, with the Swiss government saying the US aircraft were “by far” the least expensive, as well as the best on technical grounds.
In the latest poll conducted for newspaper group Tamedia/20 Minuten, only 28% of voters would like to proceed with the purchase, while 65% are opposed.
Popular opposition to the contract with the US government has increased amid trade tensions with the Trump administration, while a parliamentary report concluded that a fixed price for the 36 aircraft never existed. Defense Minister Martin Pfister has indicated the Swiss will have to buy fewer planes to keep procurement costs within the limit approved by voters.
The poll is a fresh blow for the Swiss defense ministry as public opinion hardens against a key pillar of the neutral nation’s strategic military overhaul. In addition to the fighter jets, Switzerland plans to invest in a drone battalion and new long-range air defense systems as it adapts to deteriorating global security following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Washington’s weakening commitment toward Europe.
While Switzerland has already made initial payments for the F-35s, a campaign committee has started to collect signatures to trigger a plebiscite on a proposal that aims to stop outstanding transfers. Still, a potential vote on the matter would likely not take place before 2028, while the first jets should be handed over to the Swiss air force as soon as next year.
National initiatives and referendums are a key feature of Switzerland’s system of direct democracy. Earlier plans to upgrade the Swiss airforce had to be abandoned after voters in 2014 rejected a deal to buy Saab AB’s Gripen jets.
The estimated cost of work to get airfields ready for the new Lockheed Martin jets will also exceed the initially anticipated amount, Switzerland’s federal auditor said earlier this year.
Switzerland, which isn’t a member of NATO, plans to raise defense spending to 1% of gross domestic product by 2030, well below the alliance’s 5% commitment.
An additional proposal to temporarily increase the country’s value-added tax to further boost military spending is still pending parliament approval, while a referendum on whether the country should relax strict neutrality rules on weapons exports is scheduled for November.
–With assistance from Bastian Benrath-Wright.
©2026 Bloomberg L.P.
