Switzerland is weighing a two-step acquisition of the F-35A Lightning II that would cut the initial order to 30 jets, with an option for up to 10 more once U.S. program costs and tariffs are clearer. The move lets Bern keep faith with the 6 billion franc envelope narrowly approved by voters in 2020, while still starting the long-planned renewal of Swiss air defense amid rising costs and political pressure.
Switzerland’s government is preparing to restructure its F-35A purchase so that only 30 aircraft are ordered in a first tranche from the United States, with a follow-on batch of up to 10 jets left as an option, according to reporting in SonntagsBlick. The approach, championed by Defence Minister Martin Pfister, is designed to keep the fighter program within the 6 billion Swiss franc ceiling approved in a razor-thin 2020 referendum, even as Washington signals that the original fixed price for 36 jets can no longer be guaranteed because of inflation, supply chain issues, and new U.S. tariffs.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
Switzerland is considering phasing its planned purchase of US F-35A fighter jets into two stages to keep the program within the voter-approved defense budget cap. (Picture source: US DoD)
The initial contract for 36 F-35A covers the airframes, engines, crew training, initial logistics, certain infrastructure, and a first batch of guided munitions. The authorities nevertheless acknowledge that the financial framework presented to the public no longer reflects the reality of American Foreign Military Sales, which are affected by inflation and programme adjustments. Current overrun scenarios range from 750 million to more than one billion francs, which makes any request for additional credit beyond the referendum ceiling politically sensitive and leads the Federal Department of Defence to favour a gradual build-up of the fleet.
The F-35A Lightning II is the conventional takeoff and landing version of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme, designed as a multirole stealth fighter capable of providing air superiority, ground attack, intelligence gathering, and electronic warfare. This single-seat, single-engine aircraft is 15.7 metres long with a wingspan of 10.7 metres and has a maximum takeoff weight of around 31.8 tonnes with internal weapons and fuel. Its Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engine delivers up to 43,000 pounds of thrust in afterburner, allowing the aircraft to reach Mach 1.6 at over 50,000 feet with a range of around 2,200 kilometres on internal fuel, a profile that easily covers Swiss airspace and extended quick-reaction alert missions.
In terms of onboard systems, the F-35A Lightning II combines an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) AN/APG-81 radar, an Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS), and a Distributed Aperture System (DAS) made up of infrared sensors. Sensor fusion provides a 360-degree view of the airspace and the battlespace, detects aircraft, missiles, and ground targets, and feeds the Helmet-Mounted Display System (HMDS), which projects tactical data onto the pilot’s visor. The internal armament is carried in two ventral bays that can accommodate, in a low-observable configuration, AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles for beyond-visual-range engagements and GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) or GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) guided bombs, supplemented by an internally mounted 20 mm M61A2 Vulcan cannon.
For the Swiss Air Force, the F-35A Lightning II is intended to provide air policing in peacetime, air defence in crisis, and, if needed, precision strikes or suppression of enemy air defences. Its low observability reduces detection distances for hostile radars, while the AESA radar and data links make it possible to engage targets beyond visual range, share the tactical picture with command centres, and act as an information relay for other platforms. Integrated with ground-based radars and national command systems, the aircraft no longer confines itself to intercepting isolated intrusions but becomes a node for collecting, correlating, and disseminating information for the entire Swiss air defence posture.
Martin Pfister’s approach reflects his search for a balance between the six-billion ceiling, the expectations of the military leadership, and the pressure from parts of the left, which still oppose the purchase of a fifth-generation stealth fighter for a neutral state. At the European level, Switzerland’s trajectory fits into a broader movement of F-35A Lightning II adoption within the air forces of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and partner countries such as Germany, Finland, and Poland, which seek greater interoperability and near-real-time sharing of tactical data. Bern’s choice, therefore, goes beyond domestic debate, as it further anchors Switzerland in the Western air-combat ecosystem and, in turn, raises questions about industrial dependence, the circulation of sensitive information, and the credibility of armed neutrality in an increasingly contested European strategic environment.