Switzerland Seeks Alternative to U.S. Patriot Systems Following Delivery Delays

The Swiss government is pursuing the acquisition of an additional long-range air defence system,  to complement US Patriot following delivery delays of the American system.

Last week it sent out request for information (RFI) to five manufacturers in  four countries – Germany, France, Israel and South Korea, Kaj-Gunnar Sievert, spokesman for the Federal Armaments Office (Armasuisse), told the Keystone-ATS news agency on Saturday.

Armasuisse has sent “requests for information” to the authorities in Germany, France, Israel and South Korea, Sievert explained. “Key priorities are delivery times, costs, performance and the share of production in Europe, ideally in Switzerland.”

According to Armasuisse, the information should be available by the end of May. However, Sievert pointed out that these do not yet constitute an offer; therefore, the federal government will not yet make a decision on the model at this stage. Armasuisse made no statements as to which manufacturers and systems are specifically involved.

In March this year, Switzerland decided to consider the purchase of an additional surface-to-air air defence system, preferably of European manufacture, in addition to the US Patriot system already ordered.

The Swiss Army will receive its Patriot system four to five years later than originally planned, it emerged at the end of February. Originally, delivery of the system was scheduled for 2027 and 2028.

The government intends to cushion the impact of this delay by purchasing a second system. At the same time, it aims to reduce dependency on the United States. This step increases flexibility in the event of a conflict, Pfister explained in March.