Switzerland signs contract to procure 36 US F-35 stealth fighter jets

Switzerland on Tuesday signed the agreement with Lockheed Martin to procure three dozen F-35A fighter jets. The country's Federal Council inked the contract to buy an estimated 36 F-35A advanced fighter jets worth $5.5 billion in order to bolster its defences as Russia continues to wage a war in Ukraine.

Swiss authorities dodged the popular referendum that was scheduled for March 12, 2023, due to backlash from the population, and instead will expedite the delivery of the planes, Swiss Federal Chancellery Information Officer Beat Furrer informed the RIA Novosti. The Swiss government had iterated that the US-manufactured F-35A stealth fighter jets will demonstrate the best performance and suit best for country's defensive needs. The selection of the F-35 was made by the Swiss government in June 2021 but the deal was subject to controversy as the costs would overrun the fighter programme in the United States.

"National Armaments Director Martin Sonderegger and the Swiss F-35A Program Manager Darko Savic signed the procurement contract on 19 September 2022 at armasuisse in Bern," read a statement issued by Armasuisse, the arms procurement agency for Switzerland. 

"With this, the procurement of 36 F-35A is contractually agreed," it added.

Despite the objection from the left-leaning Swiss alliance, the government announced last month that it plans to go ahead with the acquisition of the combat jets. A petition with 100,000 signatures was signed to hold the referendum key to Switzerland's direct democracy system, but that is no longer being taken into account. US-made F-35 fighter jet operates in at least nine countries from nearly 21 bases, and Switzerland now plans to replace its ageing fleet of fighter jets with the stealth machine. The Swiss government warned that there would not be enough time to hold a vote in March as Lockheed Martin's offer for the F-35A aircraft will expire. 

Russia no longer views Switzerland as 'neutral state' 

While Switzerland is bolstering its air power with US-manufactured combat planes, the Russian Federation already declared that it no longer considers the EU nation a "neutral nation". Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ivan Nechayev, at a state conference, clarified that Switzerland on numerous occasions sought Moscow's approval for representing Ukraine's interest, but that has been rejected by the government. "We very clearly answered that Switzerland had unfortunately lost its status of a neutral state and could not act as an intermediary or a representative," he told reporters. Switzerland has also joined "illegal" western sanctions against Moscow, Russian politician emphasized.