Switzerland Weighs Keeping F-5 and F/A-18 Jets Into 2030s as $7.6 Billion F-35 Deal Stalls
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 4
Switzerland Weighs Keeping F-5 and F/A-18 Jets Into 2030s as $7.6 Billion F-35 Deal Stalls
1 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 4
Summary
Swiss lawmakers said the country should review extending the service life of its F-5 Tiger and F/A-18 fleets into the 2030s to prevent a gap in combat-aircraft capacity.
The move follows delays to Switzerland’s planned 6 billion-franc ($7.6 billion) purchase of Lockheed Martin F-35 fighters, which is caught in a dispute over the price.
That delay risks a “critical reduction in operational combat aircraft capacity,” lawmakers said, making the older jets a potential stopgap until replacements arrive.
The review underscores how procurement disputes on major defense contracts can force countries to keep aging aircraft in service longer than planned.