Switzerland has joined a NATO partnership for the joint procurement of ammunition, with an eye to reducing costs and shortening delivery times, Bern said Friday.
The Swiss Federal Office for Defence Procurement (Armasuisse) said in a statement that the militarily neutral country was now participating in the Ammunition Support Partnership (ASP).
“Thanks to economies of scale, the costs of procurement can be reduced and the delivery times shortened,” it said.
Switzerland, which has been recognised as a neutral country since 1815, is not part of the NATO defence alliance.
But it has been working with the alliance’s Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) for 30 years, participating in support partnerships for air-to-air missiles, the ground-to-air missile Stinger and the Patriot air defence system.
Armasuisse said Switzerland had now broadened its cooperation to also join the NSPA’s ammunition partnership, which includes 26 other countries and encompasses a portfolio of more than 2,000 ammunition types in the land, air and water domains.
“The participating states can cover their ammunition requirements through joint procurements as part of the ASP,” it said.
“In comparison with national procurements, this results in considerable cost savings, such as shorter delivery times, thanks to economies of scale.”
Armasuisse said the move would enable Swiss companies to participate in NSPA invitations to tender, and maintained that it would strengthen Switzerland’s defence capability.
The statement insisted that Switzerland’s participation in the partnership was compatible with the country’s long-standing neutrality.
“If one of the participating states becomes involved in an international armed conflict at a later point in time, Switzerland can withdraw from the agreement in order to comply with its obligations under neutrality law,” it pointed out.