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Switzerland Eyes Direct Weapons Buys From US Makers

Switzerland’s procurement agency Armasuisse wants to buy defence equipment directly from American manufacturers in future rather than through the US government. Armasuisse chief Urs Loher called the approach one of the key lessons learnt from the F-35 purchase.

What Loher Said

According to Keystone-SDA, Loher told the Neue Zürcher Zeitung that Switzerland normally buys from the US through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme but that the model has significant pitfalls. In his account, FMS offers no jurisdiction for disputes, for example over a supposed fixed price, buyers depend on US priorities, and contractual penalties for late deliveries are generally not possible.

Loher also acknowledged that FMS lets the US government control which countries get cutting-edge military technology and gives Washington economies of scale that can lower prices, while sparing buyers lengthy negotiations with defence companies in an “all-inclusive, worry-free package”.

Illustrative image: US Air Force F-35A. Photo: DVIDS

The F-35 and Patriot Problems

Loher said the F-35A deal was presented as a fixed price of CHF 6 billion for 36 jets, and that the US is now demanding hundreds of millions more. Delivery of the Patriot system is delayed by five to seven years, Switzerland has slipped down Washington’s priority list, and the US plans to supply Germany with Patriot systems originally intended for Switzerland. Switzerland has paid just over CHF 1 billion in advances. Loher said: “We’ll come away empty-handed for the time being, but at least we’ll get some – if not all – of the advance payments back.”

In March 2026 reports said Switzerland had cut its F-35A order from 36 to 30 jets after the price talks.

Is Direct Buying Possible?

Loher said direct purchases would need approval from US authorities. He believes they may be possible for the Patriot system, where selected components could be bought directly from the manufacturer, but said buying advanced fighters such as the F-35 directly is out of the question.

Still Undecided

Whether the US will approve direct purchases, the Federal Council’s final decision on a second missile-defence system that Armasuisse has evaluated, and when the partial repayment of advances will happen are all unclear.