Swiss propose US-made F-35 fighters for air force renewal
Switzerland’s executive branch wants the Alpine country to buy three dozen advanced fighter jets from Lockheed Martin, choosing the U.S. manufacturer over domestic rival Boeing and two European defense contractors
GENEVA — The Swiss executive branch has announced a proposal to purchase three dozen advanced fighter jets from U.S. manufacturer Lockheed Martin, which beat three rivals to land a contract worth more than 15.5 billion Swiss francs ($16.75 billion) over three decades.
The Federal Council, the Swiss seven-member executive, decided Wednesday it will advise parliament to buy 36 F-35A fighters from Lockheed Martin, as well as five Patriot ground-based air-defense system units from U.S. contractor Raytheon, for another 3.6 billion francs, over 30 years.
The purchases are part of a multi-year fleet refurbishment by the Swiss air force called “Air2030” because the division’s current equipment will reach the end of its service life by 2030, the defense department said in a statement.
Other contenders for the fighter-jet contract along with Lockheed Martin and Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet were France’s Rafale — produced by Dassault Aviation — and the Eurofighter from an Airbus-led consortium.
The decision was made after a “comprehensive technical evaluation” based on a cost-benefit analysis, the department said, adding the total F-35A costs including procurement and operating costs came in 2 billion francs less than the second-lowest bidder.
