US Delays Delivery of “Swiss” Patriot to Support Ukraine

The US Department of Defense has notified the Swiss government of a delay in the delivery of Patriot air defense systems.

The Swiss Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) reported on this.

The United States announced on July 16 that it was reorienting the supply of anti-aircraft systems to support Ukraine, delaying the delivery of previously ordered systems to Switzerland.

It is reported that in 2022, Switzerland ordered five Patriot PAC-3 systems. Deliveries were to begin in 2027 and end a year later. It remains unknown for how long the delivery of anti-aircraft systems will be postponed.

US President Donald Trump previously announced the shipment of some of the “17 Patriots” that were intended for a country that “will not need them,” probably referring to the elements of the anti-aircraft system for Switzerland, which is famous for its neutrality.

“They will start arriving very soon… One country has 17 Patriots that are being prepared for shipment. They will not need them. We will make a deal for 17, or a large part of these 17… They will go to the combat zone, it could happen very soon,” the White House chief said.

Details of the Swiss contract are unknown. The mentioned number of elements may include 2-3 Patriot batteries, the minimum configuration of which traditionally consists of four launchers, a radar, a command post, and auxiliary equipment.

However, the start of deliveries was scheduled only for 2027, which may be due to the late release of key elements of the anti-aircraft system, such as radar and command post, due to the complexity of their production. It is possible that the announced 17 elements may only be launchers.

Theoretically, the United States could cooperate with European partners to obtain the necessary radars and controllers, but such Dutch cooperation has not been successful before. Additionally, the United States is unlikely to withdraw them from its own army’s stockpile due to their constant use.

A year ago, the United States informed Switzerland that the delivery of the ordered PAC-3 MSE interceptor missiles for the Patriot was postponed due to the priority of their delivery to Ukraine.

In June last year, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby announced that in the short term, interceptor missiles for the Patriot and NASAMS systems, which were intended for other countries, would be delivered to Ukraine due to urgent security needs.

“As a result, the delivery of these missiles to other countries that are currently in the queue will have to be postponed,” Kirby said.