Switzerland Chooses F-35 Stealth Fighter Jets And Patriot Missiles Over European Armaments

JAKARTA - The Swiss government decided to select Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighter jets as part of their arsenal, sparking opposition from the opposition with a referendum.

Undertaking a $ 5.5 billion deal, Switzerland will become the 15th country to use the F-35, joining the United States' "big family" of single-engine jets.

Not only that, Switzerland also agreed to buy Raytheon's MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile defense system, again from the US, beating competitors from Europe.

The F-35 purchase process has faced a number of budget swellings, delays and technical setbacks, but is building export momentum. Meanwhile, critics say the project, which is worth trillions of dollars over its lifetime, has seen rising costs while failing to meet its goals on capability.

However, Switzerland, which is neutral, chose to buy 36 F-35A fighter jets after an evaluation concluded that these jets had the highest overall benefits at the lowest overall cost, the government said.

The F-35A was able to beat its competitors from the Boeing F/A 18 Super Hornet, France's Rafale Dassault and the Eurofighter joint venture by German/French Airbus, Italian Leonardo and British BAE Systems.

The decision drew immediate criticism from anti-arms campaigners and left-wing parties who are now set to launch a campaign for a referendum on the issue, Switzerland's third vote to buy fighter jets.

Seven years ago, voters rejected the purchase of Sweden's Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter jet, while $ 6.5 billion in funding for the planned purchase of the F-35A was approved by a narrow vote last year.

The government's opposition says Switzerland does not need state-of-the-art warplanes to defend its Alpine region which can pass through a supersonic jet in 10 minutes.

"The decision is completely incomprehensible", said Priska Seiler Graf, a lawmaker from the left-leaning Social Democratic Party (SP), who have voiced concerns about the cost as citing Reuters, June 30.

"It's not just about buying them, but maintenance and operational costs. We have to find a European solution, we don't want to depend on the United States".

Swiss Defense Minister Viola Amherd said the F-35A was chosen after being the most impressive in the evaluation and offering good value for money.

The total cost was 15.5 billion francs, 2 billion less than the next lowest bidder, the government said, based on 30 years of buying and operating the plane.

"We wouldn't buy a Ferrari if VW would do it and a Ferrari would be three times more expensive", Amherd explained at a press conference.

The Swiss parliament must now approve funding for the purchase, with debate scheduled for early next year. It can debate costs and requirements, but does not revisit model selection.

Prior to Switzerland, Lockheed's fifth-generation stealth fighter recently added Poland to a list of European customers that includes Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and the UK.

US President Joe Biden has been lobbying American companies while meeting his Swiss counterpart while in Geneva for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin last month.

Separately, analysts said the decision to reject European fighter jet candidates and surface-to-air missile deals could be seen as Switzerland's rejection of the European Union, as relations are strained between Bern and Brussels after talks broke down on a new deal regulating trade and others.

By doubling US suppliers, the government could challenge the 49.8 percent of voters who opposed last year's funding.

Anti-gun campaigners say Switzerland, which last fought a foreign war more than 200 years ago, has no enemies and does not need state-of-the-art weaponry.

But government supporters say Switzerland must be able to protect itself without relying on others.

Jonas Kampus, the Group's political secretary for Military-Free Switzerland said he was confident of winning the referendum against the F-35A.

The government can expect a major loss in the vote. A follow-up poll in September (2020) showed a clear disapproval of the F-35 among voters, he said.

Meanwhile, Marionna Schlatter, a Greens MP said September elections were too close to ignore opposition concerns.

"People don't want a Ferrari in the air", he criticized.