U.S. Redirects Swiss Payments for F-35 Jets to fund Patriot Purchase that Switzerland Earlier Froze

The U.S. has redirected Swiss payments intended for the F-35 fighter jet to cover Patriot costs that Bern had earlier frozen after learning that the air defense systems’ delivery would be delayed for years, according to Swiss public broadcaster SRF.

The funds shifted from F-35 purchase to the Patriot  buy could amount to over CHF100 million ($126 million) SRF estimates. According to Urs Loher, director of national armaments at the Swiss Federal Office for Defence Procurement (armasuisse), who confirmed the US move and described the amount as only as “a low three-digit million amount” – meaning well over CHF100 million.

The U.S. move is made possible by the  U.S. government’ Foreign Military Sales Program (FMS) under which payments made by Switzerland for all arms purchases is deposited into a single fund. If one project lacks money, the US is allowed to access funds for other projects.

This is exactly what the American authorities are now doing: money intended for the F‑35 programme is being used to finance the Patriot system, SRF reports.

The Swiss defence ministry which has an urgent requirement for the F-35 jets, had to transfer several tens of millions of francs ahead of schedule to the U.S. to plug the gap. “This is very unsatisfactory,” Loher told SRF. “The redirection of funds puts the Swiss defence ministry under pressure and leaves shortfalls in the budget for the F-35 jets.”

Parlimentarian Calls to cancel Patriot purchase:

Priska Seiler Graf, a Social Democrat lawmaker, feels vindicated in her earlier call to cancel the Patriot purchase. Her party generally opposes major US arms acquisitions.

“It’s frustrating when we impose a payment freeze and the money is simply redirected,” says Werner Salzmann, a senator and security expert from the right-wing Swiss People’s Party.