Costs for the Patriot missile system are increasing
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The Patriot missile defense system, ordered by Switzerland from the United States, could end up costing twice as much as originally planned, according to reports in Tamedia and CHMedia.
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The Federal Office for Armaments would not confirm reports that prices are expected to double. A spokesperson told Swiss public broadcaster SRF that anticipated additional costs were in the range of “50% plus”.
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The government had originally ordered the air defense missiles for CHF2.3 billion.
The Patriot missile defense system is not only facing increased costs. Delivery has also been delayed by several years due to the war in Ukraine. The war in Iran is likely to cause further delays, according to media reports.
Following the media reports, the government announced that the procurement of the US Patriot air defense system would be delayed by five to seven years and will result in higher costs.
In April, the Federal Council decided to halt payments to the US for the Patriot system. It furthermore stated that it did not rule out cancelling the purchase altogether and instead buying a missile defense system in Europe.
The government expects to decide on the next steps this summer.
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Adapted from German by AI/mga
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