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| Switzerland Postpones Purchase of 36 US F-35A Fighters |
Bern - The potential multi-billion USD revenue from the purchase of 36 F-35A Lightning IIs that have been agreed with Switzerland, should be restrained when the country decides to postpone it until the holding of a national referendum in March 2023.
The referendum on the procurement of F-35A fighter jets made by Lockheed Martin, the US will be held on March 12, 2023 following political divisions in the Swiss government elite and reactions from its citizens. Swiss Federal Chancellor's Information Officer Beat Furrer told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.
In 2021, Switzerland actually chose the US-made F-35A fighter for the army's needs. The deal to acquire 36 F-35A jets is worth more than $6 billion. The Swiss Federal Council decided to choose the F-35 from the US because it has the best performance and is cheaper.
The Swiss Social Democrats and the Greens, who opposed the deal, then launched the "Stop the F-35" campaign and began collecting signatures to trigger a referendum. The initiative was signed by 120,000 people before being handed over to the government.