Switzerland to buy fewer F-35 fighter jets

Swiss Defence Minister Martin Pfister. Keystone-SDA

Switzerland will purchase fewer than the originally planned 36 F-35 fighter jets from US manufacturer Lockheed Martin, the government decided on Friday. It has left open how many aircraft will ultimately be purchased.

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The government wrote in a press release that Switzerland would procure the “maximum possible number” of F-35 fighter jets. The purchase must remain within the financial framework of CHF6 billion ($7.5 billion) approved by the electorate. The government has therefore ruled out an additional credit. “The will of the people will be honoured,” it wrote.

Due to the additional costs of up to CHF1.3 billion unilaterally announced by the US in the summer for the planned purchase of 36 fighter aircraft, it was “not possible to maintain the originally planned number of 36 F-35s” for financial reasons, the government continued. Switzerland had not been able to realise the contractually agreed fixed price of CHF6 billion, it added.

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By the end of January, the defence ministry is to present “an internal prioritisation of requirements for the years 2026/2027”, the government wrote. Once these questions have been clarified, it will decide on the possible procurement of additional F-35 jets to achieve the planned number of 36 fighter jets. However, this would then have to be decided again by parliament, and possibly also by the people.

Up to 70 fighter jets in the medium term

According to the government, the procurement of new fighter aircraft and ground-based air defence systems already approved by parliament will only allow the armed forces to protect Switzerland from airborne threats “to a limited extent”. A complete cancellation of the F-35 purchase is therefore not an option.

The government also rejected the idea of partially offsetting the additional costs for the F-35 by forgoing offset transactions, it wrote. These transactions would help to build up expertise in connection with the fighter aircraft in Switzerland and strengthen independence in maintenance.

In the medium term, the government intends to further strengthen air defence. The “Air Defence of the Future” report from 2017 serves as the basis for this work, the conclusions of which have “largely retained their validity”, writes the government. According to the report, Switzerland will need 55 to 70 modern fighter aircraft in the future – around twice as many as are currently being procured with the F-35 purchase.

The defence ministry is now examining the next steps – regardless of the aircraft type. “The degree of maturity of new technologies and systems on the one hand and the urgency of the security policy situation on the other are important factors when deciding whether existing systems should be upgraded or new systems procured.”

Adapted from German by AI/ts

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