Switzerland announced on Friday, December 12, 2025, that it will reduce the number of Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighter jets it plans to purchase from the United States. The decision was made to ensure the procurement remains within the original 6 billion Swiss franc (sim$7.54 billion USD) budget that was narrowly approved by Swiss voters in a 2020 referendum.
Cost Overruns Force Reduction
The Federal Council (Swiss government) instructed the defense ministry to acquire the “maximum possible number” of F-35As that the fixed 6 billion franc budget will allow. This action confirms the government will not seek additional funding to cover the unforeseen expenses.
* Original Plan: Bern originally chose the F-35A in 2021, expecting to purchase 36 jets for what it believed was a fixed price of 6 billion Swiss francs.
* Price Dispute: The United States later clarified that the initial sum had been based on a misunderstanding of what “fixed price” entailed. The U.S. side announced additional costs of up to CHF 1.3 billion (sim$1.6 billion USD) this summer, citing factors like inflation, rising energy costs, and increased raw material prices.
* Financial Feasibility: The government stated that due to these “foreseeable cost overruns,” maintaining the originally planned number of 36 F-35As is “not financially feasible”.
Future Defense Needs and Political Context
The F-35 purchase has been politically controversial in neutral Switzerland, and the government emphasized that the new decision “will be honoured” to respect the will of the people who approved the budget cap.
Despite the reduction, the Swiss government remains committed to strengthening air defenses. The cabinet noted that changes in the security situation necessitate an air defense capability requiring 55 to 70 modern fighter jets in the long term.
The defence ministry has been instructed to examine the next steps to modernize air defenses, including the potential for a subsequent procurement of additional jets to eventually reach the original 36-aircraft target. However, any decision to procure additional F-35s beyond the current budget would have to be decided by Parliament, and possibly a new public referendum.
The move to scale back the purchase comes shortly after Switzerland secured a deal with the U.S. to reduce import tariffs on Swiss goods to 15% from 39%.
