Swiss get five offers to replace aging jet fighter fleet

[Kailash Kumar]

Swiss get five offers to replace aging jet fighter fleet

John Miller

JANUARY 25, 2019

ZURICH (Reuters) - Switzerland on Friday 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 and Lockheed Martin from the United States.

Switzerland’s stable of Boeing McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C and D Hornets and Northrop F-5 Tigers is scheduled to be retired in the coming years, prompting it to seek new planes as part of its Air2030 program including aircraft and ground-based air defenses worth up to 8 billion Swiss francs ($8.06 billion).

It will now consider Airbus’s Eurofighter, Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet, Dassault’s Rafale, F-35As made by Lockheed-Martin and Saab’s Gripen E.

“The phase of analysis and testing starts,” the Swiss Defence Department said. “From February to March 2019, specialists from (Swiss defense procurement agency) armasuisse and the Swiss Air Force will test the aircraft in simulators” at facilities of the planes’ manufacturers.

Between April and July, the planes will be in Switzerland for aerial and ground tests, with public viewing opportunities. Assessments will continue through 2020 before a decision is made.

Switzerland wants new planes to be delivered by 2025.

Armasuisse had asked the planemakers to submit pricing for 30 or 40 planes, including logistics and guided missiles, among other criteria for the bids.

Switzerland, which last fought a short war in 1847, has struggled to convince its citizens to back a deal for new planes.

In 2014, around 52 percent voted against a 3.5 billion franc government proposal to buy 22 Gripen fighter jets from Saab. (reut.rs/2S6tTBS)

A renewed vote on the new program is also expected.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ging-jet-fighter-fleet-idUSKCN1PJ2EX?rpc=401&

 

[Kompromat]

Swiss haven't bought European stuff for a long time. I think they will go for JSF.

 

[Jinn Baba]

Switzerland, which last fought a short war in 1847, has struggled to convince its citizens to back a deal for new planes.

In 2014, around 52 percent voted against a 3.5 billion franc government proposal to buy 22 Gripen fighter jets from Saab. (reut.rs/2S6tTBS)

A renewed vote on the new program is also expected.

So waste of time really. They might as well use the money to build more banks and chocolate factories.

 

[Tshering22]

Swiss haven't bought European stuff for a long time. I think they will go for JSF.

F-35? Really? They are a patrolling Air Force; not a combative one. The last time they fought; they brought down nazi and American fighters down with Nazi manufactured Junker fighters.

Gripen is the cheapest European option they can get. F-35 is on the other end of the cost table. If Swiss can reject a CHF 3.5 billion deal for Gripens earlier, then I think they'd be better off just buying BAE Hawk trainer jets or Yak-130s.

Its not like anyone is going to invade them. They aren't resource rich and their biggest wealth is their wealth management sector.

 

[Kompromat]

JSF is future proof.

F-35? Really? They are a patrolling Air Force; not a combative one. The last time they fought; they brought down nazi and American fighters down with Nazi manufactured Junker fighters.

Gripen is the cheapest European option they can get. F-35 is on the other end of the cost table. If Swiss can reject a CHF 3.5 billion deal for Gripens earlier, then I think they'd be better off just buying BAE Hawk trainer jets or Yak-130s.

Its not like anyone is going to invade them. They aren't resource rich and their biggest wealth is their wealth management sector.

 

[Oldman1]

Either Super Hornet Block III or F-35.

 

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

No MiG-35 offer?

 

[Dante80]

Why does Switzerland need 3 squadrons of spanking new fighter jets?

I mean, in modern times most of their security problems go like this..

During the 1980s the Swiss army fired off shells during an exercise and mistakenly burned a patch of forest inside Liechtenstein. The incident was said to have been resolved "over a case of white wine".

In March 2007, a 170-person Swiss infantry unit got lost during a training exercise and inadvertently crossed 1.5 km (0.9 miles) into Liechtenstein. The accidental invasion ended when the unit realized their mistake and turned back. The Swiss army later informed Liechtenstein of the incursion and offered official apologies, to which an internal ministry spokesperson responded, "No problem, these things happen."

Joking aside, I think that the prudent choice would be Gripen. Especially since SAF has limited budget and staff available.

 

[Ali_Baba]

The Swiss need a basic plane for airspace management, and handling of potentially hijacked planes, other than that their need is low. The best option for them is the Gripen platform, they really donot need the additional cost and complexity of stealth. The Austrians make the mistake of buying the Eurofighter, when they should have gone for the Gripen aswell and they learnt their lession pretty quickly.

 

[UKBengali]

Gripen E all the way for Switzerland.

 

[Armchair]

JF-17s would be ideal or the Korean T-50s in single seat.

 

[zectech]

No MiG-35 offer?

I hear the Mig 35 is simply an update of Mig 29s, lacking many of the 4.5 gen avionics. The technology is there is Russia, it was made without them to make them new inexpensive jets.

It is fit for Egypt, not first world buyers.

Ideally Russia would offer SU-35s, which are the best in the world in the 4 gen and rivals some 5th gen.

Buy the Gripen; light, European and Swedish. Another neutral country.