GPK opens inspection Parliament investigates Federal Council for management shortcomings in F-35 purchase
The Control Committee of the National Council (CPC-N) has decided to investigate the management of the authorities on the issue of the fixed price for the procurement of the F-35A.
The National Council's Control Committee is once again scrutinizing the procurement of the F-35A fighter jets.
It wants to clarify whether there were errors in the Federal Council's management of the contract negotiations with the USA - particularly in connection with the promised fixed price. This was announced by the Parliamentary Services on Tuesday morning.
The committee had already examined the evaluation process for the new fighter aircraft in 2022. The fixed price was also under discussion at the time. In its report at the time, however, the committee saw no need for further action. New information, including reports from the Swiss Federal Audit Office, has now triggered a reassessment.
The auditors now want to investigate in depth how the Federal Council and the administration dealt with the internal warnings and the expert opinions on the fixed price obtained by the Department of Defense (DDPS). The focus is also on whether the communication to Parliament and the public was factually correct and transparent.
The new investigations were triggered by indications that the USA and Switzerland interpret the term fixed price differently. The new documents suggest that the price for the 36 fighter jets is less bindingly secured than previously presented to the public.