Switzerland confirmed that it will continue with the acquisition of F-35A stealth fighters, but the final number of aircraft is expected to be lower than initially planned.
Instead of the 36 planes planned, the Swiss government is now planning to buy around 30 units, due to the increased costs of the program.
The decision was confirmed by the Swiss Federal Council on March 6, 2026, following a financial review of the project.
Higher costs led to plan revision
According to the government, factors such as global inflation, increases in the price of raw materials and other economic costs increased the total value of the program.
To keep the purchase within the financial limit approved by the population, the Federal Council said it will ask parliament for an additional credit of 394 million Swiss francs.
The objective is to offset part of the extra costs that have arisen since the project was approved.
“The United States government is claiming additional costs related to inflation, raw material prices and other factors,” explained the Federal Council in an official statement.
Program remains within the limit approved by voters
The project to acquire new fighters was approved by the Swiss parliament in December 2019 and confirmed by the population in a national referendum held in September 2020.
At the time, a ceiling of 6 billion Swiss francs was set, based on January 2018 prices.
Updated for inflation, this financial limit rose to around 6.429 billion Swiss francs by the end of 2025.
The new credit request of 394 million francs corresponds precisely to the difference between the maximum amount allowed and the previously approved financing of 6.035 billion francs.
Around 30 aircraft must be acquired
According to current projections from the Swiss Ministry of Defense, the new level of funding will allow the purchase of approximately 30 F-35A fighters.
Still, the final number of aircraft will only be defined after future negotiations between the United States government and the manufacturers responsible for the remaining production batches.
Smaller fleet may have operational impact
The Swiss government recognized that a smaller fleet could impact the operational capacity of air defense, especially in periods of international tension.
Previous studies conducted by Ministry of Defense experts indicated that a complete air defense system adapted to current threats would require between 55 and 70 modern fighters.
Even so, officials said that further reducing the number of aircraft or canceling the program was not considered viable, as doing so could seriously limit the country’s ability to protect its territory.
Deadline for final decision
To guarantee its place in the F-35 production line, Switzerland must confirm the definitive number of aircraft by the second quarter of 2027 with the United States government.
Approval of the additional credit by parliament will allow the country to complete the aircraft order while keeping the program within the financial limit approved by voters.
About the F-35A
The F-35A is a fifth-generation fighter developed for multiple missions, including air superiority, precision strikes, and intelligence and surveillance operations.
The aircraft uses advanced sensors, data fusion and networked communications systems that allow it to share real-time information on the battlefield.
Source and images: Swiss Federal Council | Wikimedia. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
