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Switzerland faces procurement shake-up with reduced F-35 buy and five-year Patriot delays

9th March 2026 - 16:04 GMT | by Lucy Powell in London, UK

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Switzerland initially sought to procure 36 F-35A aircraft. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)

The reduction in the number of planned F-35A aircraft from 36 to 30 by the Swiss government comes due to budget constraints, with no firm plans to fill the gap despite “negative consequences”.

The Swiss government has said it is expecting to procure 30 F-35A aircraft, which is six fewer than initially disclosed due to rising costs. The reduced number will allow the procurement to stay within the total programme budget of CHF6 billion (US$7.54 billion).

The country’s defence minister Martin Pfister has confirmed Switzerland is now looking to buy “approximately 30 F-35As” with the exact number depending on future contract negotiations between manufacturer Lockheed Martin and the US government. This comes after the government confirmed in December 2025 it would be acquiring fewer jets than originally planned.

An additional CHF1.1 billion would be needed

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