Findings on the procurement process

A 95-page investigation released on 8 September 2026 by the Control Committee of the National Council (GPK-N) concluded that Switzerland never agreed on a binding fixed price with the United States for the acquisition of F-35A fighter aircraft. Following a 2020 national referendum approving funding for new combat aircraft, the Federal Council selected the American stealth jet in June 2021, initially estimating procurement costs at over 6 billion Swiss francs. Defence officials repeatedly stated that price ceilings protected Swiss taxpayers against inflation. However, committee president Priska Wismer-Felder reported that the acquisition terms contained only non-binding declarations of intent rather than enforceable price caps.

“Too few people dealt intensively and in detail with the contract, which led to the negotiation outcome not being questioned critically enough.”

Contract flaws and legal counsel

The parliamentary report identified administrative oversights throughout the Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (VBS) under former defence minister Viola Amherd. Only one person, the project manager, read the finalized purchase contract in its entirety, while Amherd and other senior officials reviewed only excerpts. On 20 October 2021, US officials notified armasuisse by email that US law prohibited guaranteed fixed pricing for foreign military sales. Two days later, a clause mentioning fixed prices was inserted, but at least 15 passages elsewhere in the text still defined costs as estimates. Swiss authorities also paid Zurich law firm Homburger nearly 2.5 million francs for legal counsel, despite the firm lacking expertise in American procurement law.

Delays in cabinet notification

The timeline established by the inquiry shows prolonged delays in reporting financial uncertainties to the broader government. Armasuisse informed Amherd in August 2024 that bilateral negotiations had failed to secure a lump-sum arrangement and that cost overruns were likely. Amherd waited eight months, until March 2025, to notify the full Federal Council, doing so only after announcing her resignation from the executive body. In June 2025, the government acknowledged that additional procurement expenses would range between 650 million and 1.3 billion francs, which prompted the Federal Council to reduce the total order from 36 aircraft down to 30.

Original purchase target36

Revised target following cost increases30

Original purchase target

36 jets

Revised target following cost increases

30 jets

Data from the article text

Political reactions and calls to cancel

The publication of the findings triggered demands across parliament for political and financial accountability. The Social Democratic Party and the Green Party called for an immediate termination of the procurement programme, arguing that parliament and the public were misled during the selection process. Social Democratic co-president Cédric Wermuth urged the Federal Council to investigate whether false statements made during the approval process carry criminal liability.

“The report confirms what the procurement of the F-35 was and is from the start: an absolute scandal.”

Members of the Swiss People's Party, including National Councillor Mauro Tuena, stated that parliamentary security commissions were denied contract access and misled by department assurances. Parliamentarians have demanded that new Defence Minister Martin Pfister grant full contractual transparency before any future defense credits receive legislative authorization.