Washington Also Reneges on Switzerland

TEHRAN (Defapress) - Switzerland, which has been trying to modernize its air defense capabilities in recent years, is now facing a serious crisis in one of its most important military contracts: a contract for the purchase of five Patriot air defense systems from the United States, which has not only been delayed for a long time, but also has the potential to double its final cost.

The story of Switzerland’s purchase of Patriot air defense systems from the United States dates back to 2022, when Bern decided to buy five Patriot systems from Washington to strengthen its air defense shield. The goal was for these systems to be operational by 2030 at the latest and form part of Switzerland’s modern air defense network. However, developments in the Ukraine war and the West’s increasing need for defense systems changed the equation.

In July 2025, the US officially informed the Swiss government that the delivery of the systems would be delayed because Washington’s priority at the time was to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses. This news came as a huge shock to Swiss officials, who had expected the delivery of the equipment to proceed smoothly according to the original plan.

After months of waiting and no precise timetable, the Swiss Ministry of Defense decided last March to stop payments for the contract. At the same time, defense officials said that the first Patriot missiles would probably not be delivered for another four or even five years.

The Swiss Department of Defense also warned that high additional costs would be imposed on the contract. At the time, Urs Lohr, director of the Armasuisse Federal Office of Armaments, said that the cost increase could be as much as 50 percent. But the situation appears to be even worse than initially thought.

The Swiss Department of Defense has now announced that the delivery of the systems could be delayed by five to seven years, and the cost of the project could increase by up to 100 percent. The Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger reported that new estimates show that the final cost of the contract could reach 4.6 billion Swiss francs, compared to the initial figure of around 2.3 billion francs.

Although the Swiss Armaments Agency refused to officially confirm these figures, a spokesman for the agency admitted that the longer the delivery of the systems is delayed, the higher their price will be, and the additional cost will definitely be more than 50 percent. Meanwhile, it is not just a question of price increases or delays. Switzerland has already paid about 650 million francs as an advance payment to the United States. This makes the possible cancellation of the contract more complicated from a legal and financial perspective.

However, the issue of terminating the contract is now being seriously raised at the Swiss government level. In April, the Swiss Department of Defense's Martin Pfister hinted at the possibility. But the crisis was compounded when the Swiss Department of Defense announced on April 1 that the US government had even used funds earmarked for the purchase of Swiss F-35A fighter jets to finance the Patriot system contract. This action has raised concerns in Bern about the way American arms contracts are being managed.

Now, Swiss officials have come to the conclusion that they cannot simply wait for the Patriot to be delivered. For this reason, the country’s defense ministry has begun examining alternative options. According to an official government statement, Switzerland also intends to explore the possibility of purchasing another long-range air defense system, preferably one made in Europe. In this regard, the Swiss Armaments Office has requested information from five different suppliers in France, Germany, Israel, and South Korea. One of the options being considered is the next-generation French-Italian air defense system, which is seen as a rival to the Patriot in Europe.

Switzerland’s goal in these studies is not just to make up for the Patriot delay, but to create a broader defense coverage for the entire country. Swiss officials say that complete dependence on a foreign system, especially in times of global crisis, can create strategic risks. Meanwhile, the Swiss government has announced that after receiving responses from companies and conducting further studies, it will probably decide on the future of the Patriot contract in the summer of 2026. Until then, payments to the United States will remain suspended.

Finally, it must be said that this case has now become one of the most controversial military contracts in recent Swiss history; a contract that was supposed to guarantee the country’s air security, but has now become a symbol of the problems in the Western arms supply chain, the pressures caused by the war in Ukraine, and Europe’s dependence on the US defense industry.