Switzerland May Abandon Patriot Purchase — Why?

Switzerland may reconsider its choice of air defense system in favor of the French SAMP/T or the Israeli Arrow due to supply issues with American Patriot systems.

NZZ reported on this.

Swiss officials are not confident that the delivery schedule for American systems will be met by 2028. The reason cited is the Donald Trump administration’s announcement last July that it would prioritize Patriot deliveries to countries that transfer these systems to Ukraine.

Moreover, Bern has not received any updates from Washington regarding its order for a long time, resulting in a suspension of payments.

At the same time, ArmaSuisse — the Federal Office of Armament — assures that “negotiations are ongoing.” Switzerland expects to receive a “roadmap” by the end of March.

If no progress is made, the possibility of turning to other suppliers, particularly European or Israeli ones, cannot be ruled out.

Colonel Dominique Riener, president of the Pro Militia association of current and former military personnel, said that Switzerland is no longer a priority for the US.

According to him, one option is the Israeli Arrow missile. Another option being discussed among politicians responsible for security policy is the French SAMP/T system.

Even conservative security policymakers no longer rule out the possibility that Switzerland may need to pursue alternative solutions.

Additional difficulties may arise due to potential increases in system costs. A similar situation has already occurred with the F-35 fighter jets.

In December, it was announced that the country was considering reducing its order for 36 Lockheed Martin F-35A fifth-generation fighter jets due to an approximately $610 million increase in the contract value.

The Swiss Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection, and Sports stated that, given the projected additional costs, maintaining the originally planned number of aircraft is financially unfeasible.

At the same time, it is emphasized that the “maximum” number of fighters will be purchased within the approved budget of 6 billion Swiss francs (approximately $7.5 billion).