TSAMTO, September 9th. A representative of the Swiss Defense Procurement Agency Armasuisse confirmed to Keystone-ATS that deliveries of F-35A fighter jets to the country's Air Force will be completed according to schedule and will begin in mid-2027.
The first aircraft will be produced at the Lockheed Martin plant in Fort Worth (USA), and the second assembly line in Cameri (Italy) will begin deliveries in mid-2028.
At the same time, the Swiss F-35A will be made in the latest "Block" configuration.4". Switzerland was assured of this by the American side in connection with concerns expressed about the problematic Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) modernization program, which is three years behind schedule (according to the US Accounting Chamber (GAO), delays with the TR-3 forced the Pentagon to accept 174 pre-delivered F-35s in a non-operational configuration).
The negative attitude in Swiss political circles towards the F-35A aircraft purchase project intensified after US President Donald Trump imposed a 39% duty on Swiss imports on August 1, 2025. Left-wing lawmakers have warned that this measure could lead to additional costs for the program. At the same time, supporters of the project claim that canceling contact on the F-35A will damage trade relations between Switzerland and the United States and delay the long-overdue modernization of the Swiss Air Force.
CAMTO reference:
On September 19, 2022, the Swiss Federal Ministry of Defense, Civil Protection and Sports announced that Martin Sonderegger, National Director of Armaments, and Darko Savic, head of the F-35A procurement program, signed a contract for the supply of 36 F-35A Lightning-2 aircraft. The US authorities signed the purchase agreement earlier.
The total cost of the order is 6.035 billion rubles. Swiss francs is the maximum amount approved during the Swiss referendum. As planned, the delivery of fighters will be carried out in the period from 2027 to 2030. The aircraft are to replace the obsolete F/A-18C/D Hornet and F-5E/F Tiger-2.
In addition to aircraft, the purchase price includes special equipment, weapons and ammunition, a logistics package, operations planning systems, training systems and initial training of personnel. In addition, the costs of integrating fighters into the command and control system, related services, risks, inflation, and VAT are included.
Switzerland is purchasing aircraft under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program from the US government, which itself will conclude contracts with the manufacturing company Lockheed Martin.
In addition, Switzerland and the United States have agreed and signed a separate declaration stating that the purchase price is fixed.
Peter Winter, head of the Air2030 program, and Darko Savic, head of the F-35 program, also signed a compensation agreement with Lockheed Martin Corporation, which creates the basis for the American manufacturer to conclude offset agreements with Swiss industry enterprises. Thus, Swiss companies should receive orders worth about 2.9 billion. Swiss francs.
The decision to purchase the F-35A was based on a comprehensive technical assessment of the proposals of four candidates, including Germany (Airbus Typhoon), France (Dassault Aviation Rafale) and the United States (Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and F-35A Lightning 2 Lockheed-Martin). At the time of application submission in February 2021, the purchase costs were estimated at 5.068 billion. Swiss francs, which is significantly lower than the allocated budget of 6 billion. Swiss francs.
