The U.S. State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Switzerland of forty (40) F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft and related equipment for an estimated cost of $6.58 billion. The Government of Switzerland requested to buy up to 40 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Conventional Take Off and Landing (CTOL) aircraft; 46 Pratt & Whitney F-135 engines; 40 Sidewinder AIM-9X Block II+ (Plus) Tactical Missiles; 50 Sidewinder AIM-9X Block II Captive Air Training Missiles (CATMs); 6 Sidewinder AIM-9X Block II Special Air Training Missiles (NATMS); 4 Sidewinder AIM-9X Block II Tactical Guidance Units; 10 Sidewinder AIM-9X Block II CATM Guidance Units; 18 KMU-572 JDAM Guidance Kits for GBU-54; 12 Bomb MK-82 500LB, General Purpose; 12 Bomb MK-82, Inert; 12 GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II (SDB II) All-Up Round (AUR); and 8 GBU-53/B SDB II Guided Test Vehicle (GTV).
Also included are Electronic Warfare Systems; Command, Control, Communications, Computer and Intelligence/Communications, Navigational, and Identification (C4I/CNI); Autonomic Logistics Global Support System (ALGS); Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS); Full Mission Trainer; Weapons Employment Capability and other Subsystems, Features, and Capabilities; F?35 unique infrared flares; reprogramming center access; F-35 Performance Based Logistics; software development/integration; flight test instrumentation; aircraft ferry and tanker support; Detector Laser DSU-38A/B, Detector Laser DSU-38A(D-2)/B, FMU-139D/B Fuze, KMU-572(D-2)/B Trainer (JDAM), 40 inch Wing Release Lanyard; GBU-53/B SDB II Weapon Load Crew Trainers (WLCT); Cartridge, 25 mm PGU-23/U; weapons containers; munitions support; test equipment; communications equipment; spares parts; repair support; training equipment; technical documents and logistics support services.
The F-35 is a multi-role fighter aircraft that is ideally suited to the task of monitoring, protecting and defending Swiss airspace. The government of Switzerland signed a procurement contract for the F-35A in September 2022, formalizing the selection announcement made in June 2021. The contract agrees to the procurement of 36 F-35As to be delivered between 2027 and 2030. The advanced capabilities of the 5th Generation F-35 will ensure the Swiss Air Force can defend Swiss sovereignty for decades to come. The F-35 is an investment in future defense capabilities. The F-35 is designed to be upgraded as technology advances and as threats evolve. With an expected in-service life of around 50 years, the F-35 will be a great asset to defend Swiss airspace far into the future. Swiss industry already plays a role in building the F-35, with six suppliers providing components to the aircraft. A 5th Generation aircraft requires a whole new approach to design, manufacturing and sustainment.
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. It is also able to provide electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. Lockheed Martin is the prime F-35 contractor, with principal partners Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. The aircraft has three main variants: the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) F-35A, the short take-off and vertical-landing (STOVL) F-35B, and the carrier-based (CV/CATOBAR) F-35C. The F-35 first flew in 2006 and entered service with the U.S. Marine Corps F-35B in July 2015, followed by the U.S. Air Force F-35A in August 2016 and the U.S. Navy F-35C in February 2019. The U.S. plans to buy 2,456 F-35s through 2044, which will represent the bulk of the crewed tactical aviation of the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps for several decades.
