Swiss cutting F-35 order by six, facing up to five year Patriot delay

BELFAST — Switzerland has decided to cut its F-35A fifth generation fighter jet order by around six aircraft, down to a fleet of 30 units, following a contract dispute over increased pricing with the US government.

“For fiscal reasons, the [Swiss] Federal Council will not request an additional appropriation to reach the originally planned number of 36 aircraft,” said Bern in a statement, adding that an additional 1.1 billion CHF ($1.4 billion) would be needed to fund such a procurement.

The Council, which is sticking to an original F-35 budget of 6 billion CHF, has instead requested parliament to approve an extra 394 million CHF to bridge increased costs related to inflation and raw materials.

“The Swiss Federal Department of Defence (VBS) currently assumes that this additional loan will allow for the procurement of 30 F-35A fighter jets,” the statement noted. “The exact number can only be determined once the US government has negotiated contracts with the manufacturers for the remaining aircraft and engines for the next production batches.”

The F-35 Joint Program Office did not respond to a request for comment.

By deciding to move ahead with a reduced buy, the Council accepted that “negative consequences” are to come. The adverse results will most keenly impact “operational capability and sustainability during periods of heightened tension and conflict,” stressed the statement. “Options that would result in a further reduction of the F-35A fleet were rejected for security policy reasons, in particular withdrawal from the contract.”

Switzerland has previously warned that terminating the F-35 deal would have “significant consequences” because from 2032 it “would no longer be able to guarantee the security of its air space and population,” since legacy F-18 combat aircraft are due to retire.

As the F-35 contract dispute emerged last year, a US DoD official told Breaking Defense that “costs associated with the F-35 program, particularly for airframes and engines, have been trending higher than the initial estimates outlined in the F-35 Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA), originally offered to Switzerland.” The official estimated the price increase at that time to be valued at $610 million.

Both Switzerland’s F-35 program and procurement of five US-made Patriot long range air defense systems sit under the European nation’s Air2030 effort. 

In a program update, Switzerland also said today that “based on current information” delivery of the Patriot package is set to be delayed by four to five years, following the US decision to reprioritize supplies to Ukraine. “The delayed delivery is also resulting in significant additional costs,” added a separate statement. 

To mitigate the delay, the Council has directed the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) to assess acquisition of a second long range, ground based air defense platform. Bern is specifically eyeing a system produced in Europe – an announcement that supports earlier reports it is considering an order of Eurosam-made SAMP/T weapon systems. The company is a joint venture between France’s Thales and European missile maker MBDA.  

Eurosam had not responded to a request for comment at press time.