Defense: Switzerland trapped by its American contracts

On May 13, 2026, the Federal Department of Defense announced that its five Patriot ground-to-air systems will cost up to 4.6 billion Swiss francs, double the signed price. Deliveries are postponed for five to seven years, without a firm guarantee from Washington. Meanwhile, the F-35A, the second pillar of the Air2030 program, is experiencing price slippage and an order reduction that voters did not vote for. The Confederation finds itself involved in two contracts which it can neither execute in the terms announced nor break without assuming the costs alone.

A LIRE AUSSI
Défense : comment l'Europe finance Washington

4.6 billion: the number that changes everything

The price of the five Patriot systems ordered in the United States under the Air2030 program has now been reached “Up to 4.6 billion Swiss francs”according to the DDPS press release of May 13, 2026. At the time of signing the contract, the amount displayed was 2.3 billion. As early as February 2025, a spokesperson for the Federal Armaments Office indicated to the SRF that the expected increase would exceed 50%, a threshold that has since been largely exceeded.

The calendar follows the same trajectory. In February 2025, the DDPS announced delivery times of four to five years. He now speaks of five to seven years. In a few weeks, the estimates have further worsened a picture that the head of the department himself described as worrying.

Two American notifications shed light on these delays. In July 2025, Washington informed the DDPS that deliveries to Ukraine would take precedence over Swiss orders. In April 2026, this position was reaffirmed, for the same reason.

Since the outbreak of conflicts in the Near and Middle East, approximately 1,600 Patriot interceptor missiles have been consumed in these theaters of operations, according to estimates published in March 2026. These shots have saturated production capacities: Raytheon, the American manufacturer of Patriot systems, cannot deliver to everyone at the same time. When publishing its first quarter 2026 results, the group declared that these conflicts had created “a heightened sense of urgency†and a request “Vraiment très forte”. Raytheon delivers first to where the war is going on.

Money paid, payments frozen and circumvented

In so-called FMS (Foreign Military Sales) contracts, government-to-government arms sales that Washington concludes with its allies, the buyer pays deposits into a blocked account managed by the American administration, which then redistributes the funds to the manufacturers. Switzerland thus has two separate accounts: one for the Patriot, the other for the F-35A.

The Confederation paid between 650 and 750 million Swiss francs As a down payment on the Patriot. Official sources maintain 650 millions ; Swiss media, including 20 Minuten, discuss approximately 750 millions in view of the payments made between autumn 2025 and May 2026. Faced with cost and delays, Berne has interrupted its payments since autumn 2025. During its meeting of April 1, 2026, the Federal Council formalized this decision: no payment additional until Washington provides firm commitments on deadlines and costs.

Washington did not wait. Armasuisse confirmed that the United States withdrew sums from the Swiss F-35A account to transfer them to the Patriot account, thus circumventing the freeze decided by Berne. Arms chief Urs Loher told SRF that the Americans “redirect Swiss money from the F-35 account to that of the Patriot systemsâ€. The DDPS indicated that this practice was “Very unsatisfactory”. Under FMS contracts, the foreign customer who wishes to cancel assumes the entire termination costs, including penalties due to the entire subcontracting chain. The cancellation of the Patriot contract is officially among the scenarios studied by the Federal Council. Martin Pfister, Minister of Defense, confirmed this at a press conference. Breaking up incurs costs that Berne does not quantify publicly.

Patriot: Berne knocks on other doors

At the end of April 2026, Armasuisse sent requests for information to five manufacturers in France, Germany, Israel and South Korea. Responses are expected by the end of May 2026.

Four systems are in the running. The SAMP/T NG, developed by Eurosam, a Franco-Italian consortium bringing together Thales and MBDA, is the candidate best positioned on deadlines: the general secretary of Eurosam indicated that a first delivery would be possible from 2029, subject to an order fast. The IRIS-T SLX from German Diehl Defense, a long-range version of the IRIS-T missile, is seeing its production rate increase. The L-SAM from South Korea’s Hanwha is a recently qualified long-range system. Israel offers two combat-proven options: David’s Sling, jointly developed by Israeli Rafael and American Raytheon (the same group that makes the Patriot, but in a separate partnership), and IAI’s Arrow 2.

The Federal Council should decide « probablement en été 2026 ». Until then, Switzerland has no long-range ground cover against enemy missiles or aircraft. Its Air Forces depend exclusively on aircraft in constant flight, ready to intercept any aircraft entering Swiss airspace.

The F-35A: the other slip, recorded in March

In September 2020, Swiss voters approved a credit of 50.1% 6 billion francs to renew combat aviation and acquire ground-air systems. In June 2021, the Federal Council selected the F-35A from the American Lockheed Martin against the French Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Swedish Gripen E. The unit price displayed was $79 million per device, total guaranteed envelope, fixed price: these were the commitments presented to parliamentarians and citizens.

In January 2025, the Federal Council indicated that the fixed price clause would not apply, exposing the Confederation to an additional cost estimated between 600 million and 1.2 billion francs. The series production contract finalized on September 29, 2025, covering 296 devices for $24.3 billion all variants and all customers combined, that is to say a group order including other countries purchasing the F-35, establishes an average reference price at $82.4 million per cell excluding engine, i.e. approximately 101,5 millions with the F135 turbojet. Independent analyzes suggest an additional cost potentially greater than the high hypothesis retained by Berne.

By official press release of March 6, 2026, after a decision of December 12, 2025, Switzerland confirmed that it would no longer order 36 F-35As but “The maximum number of devices possible” within the authorized envelope, i.e. approximately 30 devices. Maintaining the order at 36 units would have required an additional credit of approximately 1.1 billion francs. The Federal Council gave up on it. He nevertheless asked Parliament for an additional credit of 394 millions to use the entire volume of indexed financing authorized, either 6.429 billion francs. The exact number of devices will only be decided after negotiations are completed, at the latest in the second quarter of 2027. The first eight devices are expected in 2028.

The DDPS itself indicated that this reduction “has negative consequences, particularly with regard to the services provided and the ability to endure in the event of increased tensions.â€. Its own analyzes set the need for complete air protection at 55 to 70 modern aircraft.

In Parliament, an investigation and an initiative in the street

On June 27, 2025, the Management Commission of the National Council decided to open a formal inspection into how the authorities handled the issue of the fixed price of the F-35A. The decision was made public on July 1, 2025.

Six days later, the Security Policy Commission of the National Council held an extraordinary session. Two separate votes took place. By 17 votes to 8, the committee first rejected a proposal to suspend F-35 payments. By 16 votes to 8, it then rejected a formal request for analysis of European alternatives. The Finance Delegation, for its part, demanded transparency on the entire file.

At the end of 2025, industrial compensation, that is to say the investments and subcontracting that Lockheed Martin and Raytheon had committed to carrying out in Switzerland in return for the contracts, reached 34% of Lockheed Martin’s obligation and 56% of that of Raytheon. No contractual penalties appear to have been applied at this stage.

On April 28, 2026, a federal popular initiative entitled “Not the F-35” was officially launched, supported by more than 220 personalities. She calls for the inclusion in the Constitution of the ban on acquiring F-35s. The collection of signatures runs until October 28, 2027. Several surveys published at the beginning of 2025 place public support for the program below 30%. The Federal Council maintains that it will not request additional credits to return to 36 devices. A complete withdrawal from the program has been ruled out to avoid a total absence of modern fighters in 2032, the planned date of withdrawal of the F/A-18 Hornets currently in service.

Armament and customs duties: same contact, same summer

Before the end of summer 2026, the Federal Council will have to decide between three scenarios for ground-air defense: maintaining the Patriot contract under revised conditions, renegotiation accompanied by legally binding commitments, or switching to a European or Asian solution. Offers from manufacturers requested at the end of April are expected at the end of May; internal consultations will follow.

Bern is carrying out this negotiation with Washington at the same time as it is seeking to conclude, before the end of July 2026, an agreement on customs duties affecting its pharmaceutical exports to the United States. Both files involve the same American administration. A concession obtained on arms could weaken the Swiss position on trade, and vice versa. In 2021, Lockheed Martin and Washington presented prices and deadlines as sustainable. Neither are.