Swiss F-35 infrastructure costs soar above budget

Switzerland needs to revamp airfields to operate F-35s Keystone

Converting Swiss airfields for a new fleet of F-35 fighter jets is behind schedule and over budget, according to a report by federal auditors.

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New infrastructure is needed to house and operate the aircraft, which are due to start arriving from the United starts in mid-2027.

The exact number and price of the F-35s is still unclear following a contentious and drawn-out procurement.

What is clear is that new infrastructure is needed to operate the aircraft. This includes hangars and simulator rooms for pilot training and mission planning. The military airfields in Payerne, Meiringen, and Emmen must therefore be fitted out in time for their arrival.

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Construction work at Payerne began in spring 2025, six months behind schedule, according to auditors. And finances set aside for the project have already been exhausted.

Work at the Meiringen and Emmen military airfields has been delayed for at least a year. The report from the financial audit criticises those responsible for underestimating the time required.

Significant overspend

Defence procurement specialist Armasuisse wants to reassure the public. Marcel Adam, head of the real estate competence unit, is responsible for the construction projects.

He insists that the construction projects and the commissioning of the jets is being coordinated. “I am confident that if the construction continues as planned, we will be able to hand everything over on time,” Adam told Swiss public broadcaster SRF.

“Today, there are enough hangar spaces available in Switzerland for the future F-35s,” he added,

Renovations are now expected to cost CHF200 million. This is significantly more than the original CHF120 million loan approved by parliament in 2022.

The Swiss defence ministry estimated this sum three years before it was even clear that Switzerland would procure the F-35. The budget was set without knowing the requirements for airfields, operation, and maintenance.

Yet more costs

Auditors now criticise this cost estimate as unsuitable. Armasuisse says it will change its processes in future. The new CHF200 estimate is only enough for the bare necessities.

“Once we carry out the conversion work, flight operations can resume as required by the army,” said Adam. To make this possible, an application for a supplementary loan is to be submitted this year.

Less essential supplementary construction projects are also planned. “These projects primarily involve maintenance work on existing buildings that will also be used for the F-35 in the future, as well as new infrastructure that is not currently essential for the commencement of flight operations and can be implemented at a later date,” said Adam.

These projects would cost an additional CHF50 million Swiss francs, auditors calculate. Their report criticises the lack of transparency regarding the total costs for construction projects related to the procurement of the F-35.

Adapted from German by AI/mga

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