Swiss voters narrowly approved a CHF6 billion package for 36 F-35 aircraft in 2020.
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Switzerland has signed a contract with the American manufacturer Lockheed Martin for the purchase of eight F-35 fighter jets, the Federal Office for Defence Procurement (Armasuisse) announced on Thursday. Two further contracts for 28 additional aircraft are currently being negotiated.
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This is a first concrete step forward in the F-35 purchase case. The contract with Lockheed Martin for an initial batch of eight fighter jets was signed on September 29, Armasuisse told Swiss public radio, RTS, confirming information from the newspaper Le TempsExternal link .
The Federal Office for Defence Procurement said the planes were currently being tested in the United States and will arrive in Switzerland between 2027 and 2029.
Contracts for two further batches of 28 additional jets are being negotiated, Armasuisse added.
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Switzerland wants more F-35s in two stages: media report
More aircraft in 2028 and 2029
In total, the Swiss government has ordered 36 fighter jets from the American company.
According to the Armasuisse, there will initially be a contract for eight more F-35s, expected to arrive from Italy in three years. The final 20 aircraft are then scheduled to be delivered to Switzerland in 2029. This timeline confirms the commitment made by Swiss Defence Minister Martin Pfister to move forward with the project.
The prices of these purchases remain unclear at this stage. Armasuisse has not disclosed any figure.
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US F-35 jets could cost Switzerland ‘more than CH1 billion extra’
A reduced order?
Swiss voters narrowly approved a CHF6 billion package for 36 F-35 aircraft in 2020. Since then, the bill has grown. Pfister has mentioned a potential cost overrun of up to CHF1.3 billion. He said the US attribute this increase to inflation and rising raw material and energy costs.
The minister said he was considering several solutions, including reducing the number of aircraft ordered to avoid cost overruns. However, Armasuisse is still counting on the purchase of 36 aircraft.
The Federal Council is expected to communicate on this matter soon.
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Poll: majority of Swiss oppose buying US F-35 fighter jets
Adapted from German by AI/sb
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