Switzerland announced on Wednesday that it would study the possibility of purchasing air defense systems from suppliers other than the United States, which informed it of a new delay in the delivery of Patriot surface-to-air missiles due to the war in Iran.
Switzerland ordered five Patriot missile defense systems in 2022, with delivery initially planned between 2026 and 2028, a schedule that has already fallen four to five years behind schedule due to the war in Ukraine.
The government said in a statement that it had been informed by Washington that the war in Iran, which mobilizes American arsenals, would lead to additional delays and an increase in costs, with a delay of five to seven years now expected.
“All options would result in delivery delays as well as substantial additional costs,” he explains.
Switzerland is awaiting responses from five other suppliers of long-range land-based air defense systems by the end of the month, the government says. It does not identify these suppliers, but specifies that they operate in Germany, France, Israel and South Korea. He adds that he would prefer that these weapons be produced in Europe.
The Federal Council should decide on the next steps in the coming months, the press release added.
The Swiss government said in April that canceling the Patriot purchase was an option.
The price of the five Patriot systems could double from 2.3 billion Swiss francs (2.51 billion euros) to 4.6 billion francs, Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger reported, citing informed sources.
Swiss procurement agency armasuisse and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Reuters reported last month that the United States had informed its European counterparts of probable delays in deliveries of arms already validated, the war in Iran requiring them to draw on arms stocks.
(Written by Ariane Luthi and Kirsti Knolle; French version Rihab Latrache, edited by Sophie Louet)
