Defense Old Swiss fighter jet fleet has not yet had its day
The Swiss Air Force's thirty F/A-18C/D fighter jets will remain in service for longer. This will bridge the existing fleet until the new F-35A fighter jets enter service in the early 2030s.
01.06.2026, 08:57
SDA
The inspection and refurbishment of the aircraft structure was completed at the end of April 2026, as announced by the Federal Armaments Office (Armasuisse) on Monday. With further periodic maintenance, the thirty fighter aircraft should now remain operational.
Parliament decided to extend the useful life of the aircraft in the 2017 Armed Forces Dispatch and approved CHF 450 million for this purpose. This was implemented by Armasuisse in collaboration with the Swiss Air Force, Ruag and other partners from industry.
Originally, this amount was earmarked for an extension until 2025, as the jets should have been decommissioned by then. The modernization was carried out in several phases. The installation of new communication, navigation and identification systems was completed by the end of 2021.
