The Air Force wants to buy new fighters, with candidates including the Airbus Eurofighter, French Rafale, F/A-18 Super Hornet, and F-35A Joint Strike Fighter. In the end, 50.1% of the roughly three million voters who cast ballots approved the CHF6 billion ($6.49 billion) funding packet after a surprising afternoon that left pollsters unable to call the result until the last minute. Then, in 2022, the government intends to ask parliament for formal approval of both fighter jets as well as the air defense system that is finally set to roll out between 2025 and 2030. The past five years, which saw armed conflicts on Europe’s periphery, refugee crises, and terrorist attacks across the continent, may contribute to increased levels of appreciation for the Swiss army’s necessity. While opponents of the vote were at pains to argue that fighter jets were useless against cyberattacks or pandemics, the majority of the electorate seemed more inclined to accept Federal Councilor Amherd’s case that Switzerland simply cannot afford to be unprepared for future threats to its airspace. This content was published on Aug 23, 2020 The government has confirmed plans to acquire new fighter jets for the Swiss air force for no more than CHF6 billion ($6.1 billion) over the next few years. The main argument was that air policing tasks could be done by cheaper, lighter, and more sustainable planes, while the bigger tasks of combat and air defence are in any case illusory. Opponents, mainly left-wing parties and anti-army groups, said the CHF6 billion amounted to a “blank cheque” that would be better spent on climate protection, health, or the Covid-19 crisis: “fighter jets are useless against a pandemic”, they said. On 6 September, Swiss Defence Minister Guy Parmelin presented the Bundesrat (the Swiss Governmental Ministerial Council) with a proposal for the complete replacement of the Swiss Air Force's … At the same time, however, he praised Amherd for the manner of her campaign. Amherd said this will not derail plans to finalise the contract by 2021. 50.1% of voters have voted “yes” to the procurement of new aircraft for the Swiss Air Force. What will happen next? The survey carried out by gfs.bern found that 39% opposed the acquisition and 3% had no opinion. Sep 27, 2020 By a margin of just 9,000 votes, Swiss citizens have given a cautious all-clear for a multi-billion purchase of new fighter jets for the air force. Three reserve command squadrons of former Swiss Air Force Northrop F-5N Tiger IIs, plus three F-5F ‘Frankentiger’ two-seaters, which mated existing F-5F front fuselages with former Swiss rear fuselages, are currently operated by the US Navy and US Marine Corps (USMC). What has changed in the past six years? Roger Nordmann, vice-president of the leftwing Social Democrats, said the tiny margin of victory showed that the army suffers from a “credibility problem”. Wafer-thin majority approves new fighter jets The air force flirted with a second defeat in six years before scraping over the line. In a report two weeks ago, GfS Bern said that while in 2014 the issue of new fighters was seen as less pressing, its supporters had this time argued that rejection would leave the country unable to defend its skies by 2030. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not represent the views of the Swiss Government, the Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport or the Swiss Armed Forces. In the 1960s and 1970s, modern military aircraft … They also benefited from the fact that Federal Councilor Viola Amherd, who had become the country’s first female defense minister in 2019, enjoys a broader appeal than her predecessors had. In addition, the Swiss Air Force will use the new fighter aircraft for air policing around the clock, and, in case of armed attack, defend the air space for a limited period of time and support the ground forces. Aug 23, 2020 Defence Minister Viola Amherd welcomed the victory and said the government would now proceed with the evaluation of four models bidding for the contract: the Lockheed-Martin F-35, Boeing’s Super Hornet, Dassault’s Rafale, and Airbus’s Eurofighter Typhoon. Sep 27, 2020 After more than one-third of the electorate had endorsed a popular initiative to abolish the army in 1989, an even higher percentage (42.8 percent) voted, albeit unsuccessfully, against the planned purchase of the abovementioned F/A-18s in June 1993. Switzerland narrowly elects to modernize its air force but some questions remain. “Who wants to attack Switzerland?” said Green Party politician Fabian Fivaz. Despite plans to ‘sundown’ the F-5 in 2015, it … For the first time in decades, the army was defeated at the ballots. More about the author This content was published on Sep 27, 2020 Just a few days before the vote, the Swiss parliament agreed on an increase from 20 billion CHF for the four-year-period 2017-2020 up to 21.1 billion CHF for 2021-2024. The plans called for a small fighter plane similar in class to the F-5E, which the Swiss Air Force later ordered.. From Europe, the Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault Rafale and the Saab Gripen E; from the US — the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, and the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II. As for the price tag, they also claimed that when maintenance, upgrades, and ancillary costs are factored in, the jets would cost CHF24 billion rather than CHF6 billion. The Swiss parliament has approved the purchase of a new fleet of fighter jets to the tune of some CHF6 billion ($6.1 billion). In total, 110 examples were delivered to Switzerland, comprising … Other opposition figures were both enthused and disappointed by the nearness of the loss on Sunday, which Green Party president Regula Rytz said was a “sensational” victory in itself. What are your thoughts on the outcome? Image: G. Mader . There were also numerous ballots at cantonal and local levels on September 27. At the same time, politicians have already cautioned that the defense budget might be subject to austerity measures in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Swiss voters hold the keys to new fighter jet fleet The fleet of F/A18 Hornet aircraft have been in use for the Swiss air force since 1997. One of the particularities of Switzerland is the broad say its citizens have in political issues—even in matters of national security and defense. The jets, acquired in the 1990s, will age out by 2030. Switzerland in July 2018 began a new effort to buy a replacement fighter. The FFA P-16 was a Swiss prototype ground attack jet fighter designed and produced by aircraft manufacturer Flug- und Fahrzeugwerke Altenrhein (FFA). Today, the closest thing Dublin operates to a fighter plane is the Swiss-built Pilatus PC-9 trainer aircraft. He covers direct democracy and politics and is usually in Bern. On 24 August 2012, the Swedish agency for defense and export security, FXM, and its Swiss counterpart, Armasuisse, signed a framework agreement to purchase 22 Gripen E aircraft. For its part, the government defended the price tag by raising the so-called offset agreement – a compensatory system that will be into the deal, obliging the company involved to place orders with Swiss firms worth 60% of the contract value. An annual study by the Military Academy at ETH Zurich and the Center of Security Studies confirms as much. Eurofighter Typhoon Fighter Aircraft New extended-range ground-based air defence system This Sunday, the Swiss electorate voted to purchase new fighter aircraft by the end of the decade. In principle, voters will have no further say on the type of new planes to be bought. Voters in 2014 rejected a 3.1 billion-franc ($3.2 billion) order for Saab AB Gripen fighter jets. The move comes a day after Airbus and Germany placed their bid offering Eurofighter aircraft to the Swiss Government. Blog Before Flight Staff January 29, 2019 0 New fighter jet for Switzerland. More critically, with the Swiss Armed Forces and the defense ministry now put on notice, the 1993 vote may have led to the unwritten agreement that the government will consult the people for any future aircraft purchase. There is a long road ahead until the air force will receive its new aircraft and new obstacles might emerge. This time, the proponents of the deal closed ranks and ran a more disciplined campaign, even exhorting aircraft manufacturers to keep quiet and refrain from intervening in the public debate prior to the vote. After the Swiss government cancelled the FFA N-20 and an order for 100 FFA P-16s, the Swiss aviation industry and the ETH Zurich made a final attempt to build their own Swiss fighter aircraft. A right-wing proposal to scrap a Swiss immigration accord with the EU has been clearly rejected at the ballot box. Combat Aircraft; Mirage III: France: fighter IIIS: 30: retired in 1999 P-51 … The 24 popular votes on national security since 1977 have all served to strengthen, rather than weaken, the army. Five fighter types are being pitted against each to compete for a lucrative order for 30-40 aircraft for the Swiss Air Force. The jets, acquired in the 1990s, will age out by 2030. At the same time, the collapse of the Iron Curtain also coincided with a heretofore unheard of scrutiny toward the Swiss army within parts of the population. Without new fighters, the army – an important institution of non-NATO member Switzerland – would be unable to fulfil its mandate of protecting the country, said these supporters, who included the government and a majority of parliament. With fewer than 9,000 votes making the difference, the electorate very narrowly rejected the opponents’ claim that “expensive luxury fighter-planes” were a waste of resources and that a fleet of cheaper jet trainers along with a modern air defense would suffice for the air force to fulfill its core mission of upholding the Swiss airspace’s sovereignty. Swiss Air Force Started New Round of Fighter jets Trials to replace aging fleet April 15, 2019 Defence deals 706 Views On JANUARY 26, 2019 Switzerland received five bids to replace its aging fighter fleet, from European aerospace group Airbus, France’s Dassault and Sweden’s Saab, as well as Boeing … The first new aircraft would be delivered in 2018 and the intention was to lease 11 current generation (eight JAS 39Cs/3 JAS 39Ds) Gripen fighters from 2016 to 2020 in order to train Swiss fighter pilots while avoiding expensive upkeep of the F-5s. On Sunday, Swiss citizens voted on five different issues. But during its campaign, the government argued that the air force is vital for remaining credibly independent and sovereign – even if an all-out aerial attack is improbable. By a margin of fewer than 9,000 votes, Swiss citizens have given a cautious all-clear for a multi-billion purchase of new fighter jets for the air force. The majority (50.2%) of Swiss voters gave the go-ahead to the purchase of new combat aircraft on Sept. … This content was published on Sep 2, 2020 Switzerland has been trying to buy new warplanes for years. Paternity leave and tax breaks The reduction in fighter jets was accompanied by a decrease in the number of operational airbases and mirrored the overall downsizing of Swiss Armed Forces troop levels following the end of the Cold War. The vote is a landmark decision for the future of the Swiss Air Force, which had been characterized mostly by reorganization and downsizing over the last three decades. Jun 17, 2020 Voters will have the final say on a CHF6 billion ($6.1 billion) package to buy new fighter jets for the Swiss airforce. The purchase’s opponents predictably decried this “blind bargain,” but the defense ministry made sure to avoid the mistakes of the previous vote when even some army-friendly politicians had questioned the Gripen’s suitability in the run-up to the vote. However, they shied away from painting their cause as anti-army generally. Anti-immigration initiative:     38.3% Yes               61.7% No, Credit for fighter jets:              50.2% Yes               49.8% No, Paternity leave:                         60.3% Yes               39.7% No, Tax break childcare:                 36.8% Yes               63.2% No, Reform hunting law:                 48.1% Yes               51.9% No. This content was published on September 27, 2020 - 19:30, This content was published on Sep 27, 2020, This content was published on Aug 7, 2020, This content was published on Sep 2, 2020, This content was published on Aug 23, 2020, This content was published on Dec 19, 2019, Referendum commitee against fighter jet purchase (German, French, Italian), Federal Statistics Office – Votes September 27, 2020. As opposed to the narrow rejection in 2014 of a CHF3 billion purchase of Swedish Gripen jets, this time polls had indicated a relatively clear success with 56-58% support. The modernization programs follow the assumption that the defense budget will grow substantially over the next decade. Aug 7, 2020 Dec 19, 2019 The army needs to be ready to face any unknown threats that come up in the next 30 to 40 years. However, in a national referendum in May 2014 a majority of Swiss … Projections over the past weeks had shown clear acceptance for the government-backed plan, which will see the army replace its ageing fleet of F-5 Tigers and F/A-18 jets by 2030. The Swiss government plans to announce its decision next summer (along with the selection of a new ground-based air defense system for 2 billion CHF, which forms the second leg of the defense ministry’s Air2030 program but was excluded from the referendum). Swiss citizens today voted to approve the purchase of CHF6 billion ($6.4 billion) worth new fighter by the country’s air force that had been challenged to a referendum by pacifists and left-wing political parties. Your web browser is outdated. Sep 2, 2020 It also raised the issue of terrorism and new geopolitical uncertainties. The plans may yet... SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR. Sep 27, 2020 The fleet of several hundred fighter aircraft fielded throughout the Cold War has continuously shrunk to initially thirty-four, now thirty, F/A-18 Hornets (and some forty-seven F-5 Tigers remaining for training purposes) that are set to be phased out by the end of the decade. The Swiss air force’s credit package for the purchase of new fighter jets has been challenged to a referendum by pacifists and left-wing parties. BERN, Switzerland - On Nov. 18, the U.S. government and Lockheed Martin submitted an F-35 proposal to the Swiss government in support of Switzerland's New Fighter Aircraft (NFA) competition. However, the Group for a Switzerland without an Army (GSoA), which led the opposition campaign, has already said it will launch a people’s initiative to challenge the government’s choice. In practice, Switzerland has few enemies and has fought no wars in centuries. In June 2019 the Swiss Air Force ended the evaluation for the five types of combat aircraft shortlisted (Eurofighter Typhoon, the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, the Dassault Rafale, the Lockheed Martin F-35A and the Saab Gripen E) under the Air2030 program to replace its ageing fleet of F-5 fighter jets, and … Even though poll ratings had predicted a conclusive result, the referendum wound up hanging in the balance. 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