Switzerland Explores Direct US Arms Deals After F-35 Procurement Problems
Urs Loher, who leads the Federal Office for Defense Procurement (Armasuisse), explained that the experience had highlighted shortcomings in Switzerland's current military purchasing arrangements.
"That is one of the key lessons learnt from the F-35 purchase," he said.
Under the US Foreign Military Sales program, Switzerland obtains American defense equipment through the US government. This arrangement limits the country's ability to challenge pricing disagreements or obtain compensation when deliveries are delayed.
Loher indicated that negotiating directly with manufacturers could provide Switzerland with more flexibility in its procurement decisions, although such agreements would still require authorization from US authorities.
He pointed to selected components of the Patriot air defense system as potential candidates for direct purchases. However, he ruled out using the same approach to acquire sophisticated fighter aircraft such as the F-35.
"As this is a system that has been tried and tested for years, selected components are certainly available directly from the manufacturer," said Loher.
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