Cost Overruns Force Swiss Government to Scale Back Fighter Purchase
Switzerland has revised its planned purchase of Lockheed Martin F-35A fighter jets from 36 to 30, citing rising costs that exceeded the approved spending ceiling. The government has requested an additional credit of CHF 394 million to support the acquisition. The reduction comes as the country also faces delays in the delivery of Patriot air defense systems, prompting consideration of a second, European-made ground-based air defense system. The F-35A was selected in 2021 to replace Switzerland’s aging fleet of F/A-18 Hornets and Northrop F-5 Tigers. This development was first reported by AeroTime.