Swiss Sign Controversial $6 Billion Deal to Purchase F-35 Fighters
GENEVA—Swiss officials on Monday formally signed a procurement contract to acquire three dozen F-35 fighter jets from the United States as part of a planned refurbishment of Switzerland’s air force that has run afoul of critics of the big defense purchase, the government said.
The head of Switzerland’s armaments service and F-35A program director inked the procurement deal that is to cost just over 6 billion Swiss francs (dollars) for the planes that will be delivered between 2027 and 2030.
The planned purchase has already been signed by the United States, where manufacturer Lockheed Martin has its headquarters, the Swiss government said in a statement. The procurement cost will include mission-specific equipment, weapons and ammunition, as well as logistics, mission-planning and training support, it said….