Federal Council backtracks again on F-35 fighter jets

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• The Federal Council confirms that Switzerland will procure fewer than the 36 F-35 fighter jets originally planned.
• Without an additional billion-euro loan, the Department of Defense is currently assuming around 30 aircraft.
• At the same time, the Federal Council wants to examine a temporary increase in VAT to finance the army.
• The DDPS is also to examine a second ground-based air defense system.

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Switzerland will buy fewer F-35 fighter jets than originally planned. As the Federal Council announced on Friday, the budget approved by the people in 2020 is not sufficient to procure all 36 planned aircraft.

Defense Minister Martin Pfister had already indicated in December that the cost trend was jeopardizing the original plans. Now the national government has officially confirmed: "The Federal Council is abandoning the original number of 36 aircraft."

However, a complete abandonment of the project is not an option in view of the current security policy situation. The Federal Council therefore wants to procure the maximum possible number of aircraft within the existing financial framework.

According to the Federal Council, an additional CHF 1.1 billion would be required for the 36 jets originally planned. Without this additional credit, the Department of Defense currently expects to be able to procure around 30 aircraft.

Broader financing of the army to come

However, the exact figure has not yet been finalized. It depends, among other things, on the prices the US government negotiates with the manufacturers in the coming production batches.

Additional money is also needed for this reduced procurement. The Federal Council intends to request an additional credit of CHF 394 million from Parliament as part of the 2026 Armed Forces Dispatch. This is intended to offset additional costs that have arisen since the referendum due to inflation and rising commodity prices, among other things.

According to the Federal Council, fewer aircraft would have consequences for the operational capability of the air force. A group of experts appointed by the Department of Defense assumes that between 55 and 70 modern fighter jets would actually be required for Switzerland's comprehensive air defence.

At the same time, the government is pushing ahead with broader financing of the armed forces. The Federal Council wants to stick to a planned, temporary increase in value added tax. This is intended to provide additional funds for the army and security-related federal agencies. The proposal will now be submitted for consultation and could be put to a popular vote in 2027.

There are also changes to ground-based air defense. According to the Federal Council, the Patriot system ordered in the USA will be delayed by four to five years. The USA informed Switzerland of this at the end of February.

Although the Federal Council is sticking with the purchase of the system, it is also examining whether a further air defense system should be procured. If possible, this should be produced in Europe in order to reduce dependence on individual suppliers.

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