Moreover,
Purchase f-35: swiss army contradicts:
Swiss air defense
The extension of F/A-18 shakes up the purchasing strategy for F-35 – Purchase f-35: swiss army contradicts
The air force chief admits that the current fleet could serve five more years. Nevertheless, This revelation weakens the argument of Minister Martin Pfister while the price of American planes flies away.
The additional potential cost for the purchase of F-35s would now reach 1.3 billion francs.
Keystone
The showdown intensifies between the Federal Council and several elected officials concerning The purchase of F-35 combat aircraft. Nevertheless, purchase f-35: swiss army contradicts While the Swiss government insists on the absence of viable alternatives. However, new information from the Swiss air forces relayed by “Blick“Question this position and reveal possibilities hitherto passed over in silence.
The Minister of Defense. Meanwhile, Martin Pfister, defends the purchase of the F-35 by claiming that they are essential to ensure the protection of Swiss airspace after 2032, scheduled for the withdrawal of the current F/A-18. This position is maintained despite the failure of the “fixed price” initially promised and an additional potential cost reaching 1.3 billion francs.
However. a revelation came to shake this argument during an extraordinary session of the commission of the security policy on July 2. According to “Blick”. Peter Merz, head of the Swiss air forces, would have confirmed that the lifespan of the F/A-18 could be purchase f-35: swiss army contradicts prolonged “without problem” of several years, following the example of other countries, including the United States themselves.
Technically. this extension would add approximately 1000 hours of additional flight to each device at an estimated cost between 800 million and 1 billion francs. This solution would extend the service time of the current fleet until 2035. even 2037, thus opening the door to the exploration of European alternatives.
“No protection without F-35”
Faced with this contradictory information, several elected officials cited by “Blick” express their exasperation. One of them categorically affirms that the argument according to which the Swiss airspace would be without protection after. 2032 without the F-35 is “manifestly false”.
The situation is all the more delicate since the United States has recently postponed the delivery of Patriots purchase f-35: swiss army contradicts anti-aircraft defense systems commanded by Switzerland. preferring to send them to Ukraine. Despite these setbacks. the DDPS remains inflexible and justifies its position by recalling that Switzerland is “required to complete its contract with the Americans”.
According to a specialist in the security policy questioned by “Blick”. this obstinacy with the F-35 is mainly explained by a desire to “not lose face” rather than by objective strategic considerations.
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