Delivery of Patriot defense systems to Switzerland is delayed and the cost rises to 3.7 billion francs

Deliveries of Patriot air defense systems to Switzerland are delayed until the 2030s, while their total cost escalates to a minimum of 3.7 billion Swiss francs.

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Berlin refused to cede to Bern part of the elements of these systems, which were originally allocated to the Swiss Confederation, due to Germany's persistent efforts to replace its military stock after sending weapons to Ukraine, according to what was reported by the Swiss Radio and Television Portal.

The portal's sources explain that Switzerland had entered into negotiations with both Germany and the United States, with the aim of transferring to Berlin some components of the "Patriot" deal originally intended for Bern.

The deal includes 5 launch units concluded by Switzerland in 2022, with the first of these systems to be delivered in 2026, and the last in 2028. However, Washington decided to redirect this deal in favor of Germany, in order to compensate it for the air defense arsenal that it delivered to Ukraine.

In June, the Swiss Ministry of Defense saw an opportunity to discuss its country obtaining part of this deal in cooperation with Washington and Berlin, believing that the matter was possible because the specifications of the available Patriot systems did not match what Germany requested. But the head of the Swiss Federal Defense Procurement Office, Urs Lohr, confirmed to the same portal the failure of negotiations with the two parties, explaining that Germany is stubborn by seeking to replace the systems it sacrificed to Ukraine as quickly as possible.