An F-35 fighter jet lands at Emmen military airfield in Switzerland in 2022.
Keystone / Ennio Leanza
A petition by the “Stop-F35 Alliance” urging the Swiss government to immediately halt the purchase of new US fighter jets has gathered 42,500 signatures. Campaigners want parliament, which is due to vote on similar requests, to take a first step in this direction.
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“It’s not too late to make the right decision,” wrote the alliance, which includes the left-wing Social Democratic Party and the Green Party, and groups such as Campax and the Group for a Switzerland without an Army (GSoA), on Tuesday.
They denounce “the dependence on the United States that we have contracted with the purchase of this jet; it is and remains indecent”.
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Switzerland would bear costs if it forgoes F-35 jet purchase
Following the election of US President Donald Trump, it has become even more obvious how devastating a dependence on the US for security policy is, according to the Stop-F35 Alliance, which claims to represent a majority of the population.
In a representative poll published by the Tages Anzeiger in April, over 80% of those questioned said they opposed Switzerland’s purchase of F-35 fighter jets, the alliance stressed.
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Poll: majority of Swiss oppose buying US F-35 fighter jets
In 2022, Bern signed a contract with US manufacturer Lockheed Martin for the purchase of 36 F-35 A fighter jets, worth just over CHF6 billion. The aircraft are due to be delivered from 2027 to 2030, replacing Switzerland’s ageing fighter jet fleet of F/A-18 Hornets and F-5 Tigers.
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Translated from French by DeepL/sb
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