Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Neutral Switzerland plans to buy dozens of US F-35 fighter jets

Neutral Switzerland plans to buy dozens of US F-35 fighter jets

Switzerland has chosen Lockheed Martin's F-35A Lightning II as its next-generation fighter jet, the government said on Wednesday, angering opponents who have pledged a new referendum to overturn what they dubbed an unnecessary "Ferrari" option.

The $5.5 billion deal adds a 15th nation to the world's largest weapons project -- a family of interconnected, single-engine jets to be used by the United States and its allies and partners.

It came alongside a $2.1 billion agreement to buy the Patriot surface-to-air missile system from US group Raytheon, with European competitors losing out on both deals.

The F-35 has faced multiple budget overruns, delays and technical setbacks, but is building export momentum. Critics say the project, valued at trillions of dollars over its lifetime, has seen costs soar while failing to meet goals on capability.

Neutral Switzerland will buy 36 F-35As after an evaluation found it had "the highest overall benefit at the lowest overall cost," the government said.
The aircraft beat bids from Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet, the Rafale from France's Dassault and the four-nation Eurofighter built by Germany- and Spain-backed Airbus, Italy's Leonardo and Britain's BAE Systems.

The decision drew immediate criticism from anti-armaments campaigners and left-wing parties who will now launch a campaign for a referendum on the issue, the third Swiss vote on buying fighter jets.

Voters seven years ago rejected the purchase of Gripen jets from Sweden's Saab, while the 6 billion Swiss franc ($6.5 billion) funding, which led to the decision to buy the F-35As, was only narrowly approved last year.

Opponents say Switzerland doesn't need cutting-edge warplanes to defend its Alpine territory, which a supersonic jet can cross in 10 minutes.

"The decision is simply incomprehensible," said Priska Seiler Graf, a member of Parliament for the left-leaning Social Democrats (SP), who has raised concerns about the cost.

"It's not just about buying them, but the upkeep and operating costs," she added. "We should seek a European solution ... we don't want to be dependent on the United States."

The government picked the Patriot missile system over Franco-Italian group Eurosam.

Defense Minister Viola Amherd said the F-35As were chosen after being the most impressive performer in an evaluation and offered best value for money.

Total costs of 15.5 billion francs ($16.7 billion) came in 2 billion francs cheaper than the next lowest bidder, the government said, based on buying and operating the aircraft over 30 years.

"We would not have bought a Ferrari if a VW would do and the Ferrari would be three times more expensive," Amherd told a news conference.

The Swiss Parliament now has to approve the funding for the purchase, with the debate scheduled for early next year. It can debate costs and terms but not revisit the model selection.

Dozens of US Air Force F-35 fighters taxi on the runway in preparation for a combat power exercise on Nov. 19, 2018, at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.


The fighter decision was closely watched as the first of three face-offs ahead of Finland and Canada.

Lockheed's stealthy fifth-generation fighter recently added Poland to its list of European customers which includes Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, and Britain.

US President Joe Biden had lobbied for American companies when meeting his Swiss counterpart while in Geneva for his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin this month.

Analysts said the decision to snub both the European fighter jet candidates and surface-to-air missile offering could be seen as a Swiss rebuff to the European Union in a time of strained relations between Bern and Brussels after the collapse of talks over a new agreement governing trade and other matters.

By doubling down on US suppliers the government could antagonize the 49.8% of voters who opposed funding last year.

Anti-arms campaigners say Switzerland, which last fought a foreign war more than 200 years ago and has no discernable enemies, does not need cutting-edge fighters.

But supporters have said Switzerland needs to be able to protect itself without relying on others.

Jonas Kampus, political secretary of the Group for a Switzerland without an Army, said he was confident of winning a referendum against the F-35As.
The government "can expect a heavy defeat in the vote. The follow-up polls in September (2020) showed a clear rejection of the F-35 among the voting population," he said.

Marionna Schlatter, a lawmaker with the Greens Party said the September poll was too close to ignore opposition concerns.

"The people don't want a Ferrari in the air," she said.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
A monster hit and a billion-dollar toy empire
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
Canada: Nurse Suspended and Fined 93 Thousand Dollars After Stating the World’s Most Well-Known Fact Since the Creation of Adam and Eve, That There Are Only Two Genders
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
U.S. Treasury Secretary Whitney Bessent Backs Stablecoins to Boost Treasury Demand
Spain to Declare Disaster Zones After Massive Wildfires
Three-Minute Battery Swap Touted as Future of EVs
Beijing Military Parade to Showcase Weapons Advances
U.S. Tech Stocks Slide on AI Boom Concerns
White House Confirms Talks Over Intel Stake
Trump Suggests U.S. Could Support Ukraine ‘By Air’
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
UK Government Tries to Sue 4chan for Breaching Online Safety Act
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
"Every Centimeter of Your Body Is a Masterpiece": The Shocking Meta Document Revealed
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
China Requires Data Centres to Source Majority of AI Chips Locally, For Technological Sovereignty
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
Jellyfish Swarm Triggers Shutdown at Gravelines Nuclear Power Station in Northern France
OpenAI’s ‘PhD-Level’ ChatGPT 5 Stumbles, Struggles to Even Label a Map
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
×