Diplomacy · Bern and Washington, D.C.
Switzerland rushes nearly 500 million francs to the US in advance for F-35s to avert delivery disruption
The Swiss government has accelerated all 2026 payments for its future F-35A fleet, wiring almost half a billion francs to a pooled US armaments account ahead of schedule.
AI text based on reports by Le Temps, Neue Zürcher Zeitung and SWI swissinfo.ch. Published . How it is made
For membersThe first 30 seconds for everyone. Synthetic voice (AI).
In brief
Switzerland prepaid all 2026 F-35 instalments, nearly CHF 500 million, to keep the joint US procurement account sufficiently funded.
An empty account could have stopped F/A-18 spare-part shipments or damaged the F-35 programme, armasuisse director Urs Loher said.
Almost CHF 700 million has been paid for five Patriot batteries, but deliveries have been pushed back by several years because the US can reprioritise in extraordinary situations.
Patriot elements originally destined for Switzerland could become available for training if the US redirects them to Germany, whose army requires a different configuration.
- 2026 (originally planned)Patriot deliveries were due to start but have been delayed by several years.
- 2027–2030The 30 F-35A aircraft are scheduled for delivery.
- 2027 or 2028Patriot batteries originally for Switzerland may be sent to Germany; Swiss-configured components could be freed up for training.
The early payment
In an interview with the NZZ am Sonntag, armasuisse director Urs Loher disclosed that Switzerland had brought forward all scheduled 2026 payments for the F-35A stealth fighter. The sum, described as "etwas weniger als 500 Millionen Franken" (just under CHF 500 million), has already been transferred to the United States.
The joint financing account
Swiss defence acquisitions in the US are handled through a single pooled account. It covers the 30 F-35As, the Patriot air-defence systems ordered in 2022, and spare parts for the existing F/A-18 fleet. Loher warned that allowing the account to run low could have triggered a halt in F/A-18 spares or jeopardised the F-35 programme. "Das Risiko war für uns zu gross" – the risk was too great, he said.
Patriot delays and reprioritisation
Switzerland has already paid nearly CHF 700 million for five Patriot batteries. Their delivery, originally expected to begin this year, has slipped by several years. Loher pointed out that the contractual framework allows the United States to reassign priorities in extraordinary situations, though Bern still expects Washington to honour the state treaty.
“We have agreed delivery windows, that is correct. But we also agreed that the US can carry out a new prioritisation in the event of extraordinary circumstances.”
Potential early windfall for training
Loher noted that Patriot batteries the US plans to deliver to Germany in 2027 or 2028 were originally meant for Switzerland but do not match the Bundeswehr's desired configuration. This could free up individual components such as launchers, radar units or the command post for Swiss use sooner than planned. "Wir nehmen alles, was wir kriegen können" – we take everything we can get, Loher added.
Delivery schedule
Assembly of the first Swiss F-35A began in May 2026. Deliveries of the 30 aircraft are spread between 2027 and 2030.
Ask about this text
Sources and context
- Urs Loher
- Director of the Swiss Federal Office for Armament (armasuisse)
- Places
- United States
Pollar is free and carries no ads in the text. Its members keep it going.
Support Pollar