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| Force Purchase of F-35A Fighter Jets, Switzerland Legislators Ignore Referendum Call |
Bern - Switzerland legislators have given final approval for the controversial purchase of the F-35 fighter jet from the United States. They ignored the petition calling for a referendum on this issue.
The National Council, Switzerland's lower house, voted to approve a $6 billion deal with US defense contractor Lockheed Martin last Thursday. Previously, the upper house of the State Council had approved the purchase of three dozen F-35 fighter jets as quoted from Russia Today, Sunday (18/9/2022).
Read Also: Switzerland Postpones Purchase of 36 F-35A Fighters Until National Referendum in 2023
The Switzerland government, which won voter approval in 2020 to modernize the country's fighter jet fleet at a cost of up to $6.3 billion, struck a preliminary deal with Lockheed Martin last year after choosing the F-35 fighter jet over France's Rafale, the Boeing F/A-18. Multinational Super Hornet and Eurofighter Typhoon.
Opponents argue that while voters narrowly approve of fleet modernization, they disagree with the F-35 fighter jet, which is too expensive and unsuitable for the neutral nation's air force focused on Switzerland military defence.
Last month, the government confirmed that the “Stop F-35” opposition group had collected 100,000 signatures on a legitimate petition to force a referendum. The Swiss Ministry of Defense argues that there is not enough time to hold a vote before Lockheed Martin's bid expires.
The Switzerland government has until March 2023 to sign the contract or risk higher costs and a longer wait to bring in the fighter jets. To note, a number of other countries, such as Germany, Finland, and Canada, are lining up to buy F-35 fighter jets in the midst of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.