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Switzerland Selects F-35
Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2021 2:53 pm
by TonyO
Switzerland plans to replace both its F/A-18 Hornets and F-5 Tigers with a fleet of 36 F-35s.
Bern, 30.06.2021 - The Federal Council is set to propose that Parliament approve the procurement of 36 F-35A fighter aircraft from US manufacturer Lockheed Martin and five Patriot fire units from US manufacturer Raytheon. An evaluation has revealed that these two systems offer the highest overall benefit at the lowest overall cost. The Federal Council is confident that these two systems are the most suitable for protecting the Swiss population from air threats in the future. The Federal Council took the decision at its meeting on 30 June.
The Air Force’s current equipment will reach the end of its service life in 2030. To ensure Switzerland’s continued protection against threats from the air, the Federal Council intends to replace its current fleet of fighter aircraft and procure a new system for longer-range ground-based air defence (GBAD). In the referendum on 27 September 2020, a planning decision was adopted which set a budget cap of CHF 6 billion for the procurement of new fighter aircraft. In addition, CHF 2 billion will go towards a longer-range GBAD system. (Both figures according to the National Consumer Price Index in Jan. 2018.)
The Federal Council based its decision on a comprehensive technical evaluation of four new fighter aircraft candidates (Eurofighter by Airbus, Germany; F/A-18 Super Hornet by Boeing, USA; F-35A by Lockheed Martin, USA; Rafale by Dassault, France) and two candidates for a longer-range GBAD system (SAMP/T by Eurosam, France; Patriot by Raytheon, USA).
https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start/docum ... 84275.html
Re: Switzerland Selects F-35
Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2021 3:45 pm
by Blackcat1
Re: Switzerland Selects F-35
Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2021 7:17 am
by steamy
Is it Switzerland who had a clause in the contract that if the F-35 was selected, they would be partially built there also? Or am I mixing this up with someone else?
Re: Switzerland Selects F-35
Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2021 7:30 am
by plmc135
Blackcat1 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 30, 2021 3:45 pm
Not another country with F35s, imagine how boring RIAT will be!
No different to when everybody sent F-16's
Re: Switzerland Selects F-35
Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2021 7:53 am
by Blackcat1
Yeah but they look nice
Re: Switzerland Selects F-35
Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2021 7:55 am
by Yammer
F-35's look fine - get used to them.
Re: Switzerland Selects F-35
Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2021 8:00 am
by Blackcat1
Nah !
Re: Switzerland Selects F-35
Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2021 9:32 am
by TonyO
steamy wrote: ↑Thu Jul 01, 2021 7:17 am
Is it Switzerland who had a clause in the contract that if the F-35 was selected, they would be partially built there also? Or am I mixing this up with someone else?
Less a clause, more of a proposal from Lockheed Martin who suggested Switzerland could assemble four aircraft in-country.
Re: Switzerland Selects F-35
Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2021 10:30 am
by cj9ru
4 out of 36
Big deal. I suppose politics at play...
Chris
Re: Switzerland Selects F-35
Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2021 11:06 am
by willow70
Hmmm I wonder if the manufacturer used the same method as the sale of F104s to Germany . The GNY had the option of Buccs or F104s it should have been a no brainer to pick the Bucc.
Re: Switzerland Selects F-35
Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2021 11:20 am
by Alf
cj9ru wrote: ↑Thu Jul 01, 2021 10:30 am
4 out of 36
Big deal. I suppose politics at play...
Chris
I thought the main reason to build 4 in Switzerland was for the knowledge and experience that would be gained of the F-35A by the Swiss.
Re: Switzerland Selects F-35
Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2021 12:16 pm
by Sparts99
willow70 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 01, 2021 11:06 am
Hmmm I wonder if the manufacturer used the same method as the sale of F104s to Germany . The GNY had the option of Buccs or F104s it should have been a no brainer to pick the Bucc.
Can you expand on that? I never knew Germany was a potential Buccaneer purchaser.
Re: Switzerland Selects F-35
Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2021 12:38 pm
by Alf
Sparts99 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 01, 2021 12:16 pm
willow70 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 01, 2021 11:06 am
Hmmm I wonder if the manufacturer used the same method as the sale of F104s to Germany . The GNY had the option of Buccs or F104s it should have been a no brainer to pick the Bucc.
Can you expand on that? I never knew Germany was a potential Buccaneer purchaser.
Quick Google of Blackburn Buccaneer produced the following (Wiki)
"Early in the Buccaneer programme, the US Navy had expressed mild interest in the aircraft, but quickly moved on to the development of its comparable Grumman A-6 Intruder. The West German Navy showed a greater interest, and considered replacing its Hawker Sea Hawks with the type, although it eventually decided on the Lockheed F-104G for its maritime strike requirement, following the bribing of West German government officials in the Lockheed bribery scandals. "
Re: Switzerland Selects F-35
Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2021 2:32 pm
by Sparts99
Ok thanks.
Re: Switzerland Selects F-35
Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2021 3:10 pm
by 65thAgressor
I'm not sure why the swiss would go for the f35. Do they need a stealthy fighter? I don't think so. For cost and interoperability the Rafale or gripen would have been a much better choice.In my opinion.
Re: Switzerland Selects F-35
Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2021 3:21 pm
by Alf
65thAgressor wrote: ↑Thu Jul 01, 2021 3:10 pm
I'm not sure why the swiss would go for the f35. Do they need a stealthy fighter? I don't think so. For cost and interoperability the Rafale or gripen would have been a much better choice.In my opinion.
For interoperability they would be along side USAF/RAF/Norway/Denmark/Italy/Netherlands/Belgium/Poland... not a bad start
Re: Switzerland Selects F-35
Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2021 3:51 pm
by Nighthawke
Maybe they know what they want and why better than any of us.
Re: Switzerland Selects F-35
Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2021 4:11 pm
by sjoerd
65thAgressor wrote: ↑Thu Jul 01, 2021 3:10 pm
I'm not sure why the swiss would go for the f35.
Because in a red & white 6-ship formation, they look way cooler than those boring grey solo displays during airshows!
Re: Switzerland Selects F-35
Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2021 11:34 pm
by TonyO
65thAgressor wrote: ↑Thu Jul 01, 2021 3:10 pm
I'm not sure why the swiss would go for the f35. Do they need a stealthy fighter? I don't think so. For cost and interoperability the Rafale or gripen would have been a much better choice.In my opinion.
It [the F-35] was the cheapest option according to the Swiss evaluation, and the Gripen was removed from the competition in 2019.
Re: Switzerland Selects F-35
Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2021 3:08 pm
by Tally-ho
Alf wrote: ↑Thu Jul 01, 2021 3:21 pm
For interoperability they would be along side USAF/RAF/Norway/Denmark/Italy/Netherlands/Belgium/Poland... not a bad start
Correct, that fact is important when it comes to high cost defence needs, within Nato and non-Nato alliances. Furthermore, the strength and magnitude of the F-35 onboard computing and processing capabilities, the sophistication of its technical wizardry, is unmatched.
