The Swiss government announced on 24 June that it has begun formal contract negotiations with defence manufacturers from France, Israel and South Korea to acquire a second long-range ground-based air-defence system. The move is a direct response to the deteriorating security situation in Europe and to delays of four to five years in the delivery of the American Patriot missile systems that Switzerland ordered in 2022, according to a statement from the Federal Department of Defence.

Swiss defence minister Martin Pfister told a press conference that the country must be able to defend itself rapidly against long-range attacks and that a second system would reduce dependence on a single supplier and a single supply chain. The government simultaneously confirmed it is resuming previously suspended payments for the Patriot system, arguing that halting the programme without a substitute in place would be too risky and could incur unpredictable costs. The defence ministry said it aims to proceed with the Patriot project with as little additional delay and expense as possible.

The negotiations with France, Israel and South Korea exclude Germany, which had been named as a potential supplier in March. National armaments director Urs Loher specified that the system under discussion with Israel is not the Arrow defence system. Pfister indicated that the second order is likely to be significantly more expensive than the initial Patriot contract, which was valued at around two billion Swiss francs. The government is also seeking a 0.5 percentage-point increase in value-added tax to create a dedicated armament fund, a proposal that underscores the scale of the financial commitment being contemplated in Bern.

Viewed from Washington, the Swiss decision highlights the knock-on effects of the Pentagon’s prioritisation of deliveries to Ukraine, which has stretched production timelines for Patriot systems. The Swiss government disclosed in March that the United States had redirected Swiss payments intended for F-35A fighter jets to cover Patriot-related costs, and that Bern would now acquire only 30 of the jets instead of the originally planned 36, citing inflation and higher raw-material and energy costs. European defence analysts note that the Swiss search for a non-American system mirrors a wider continental trend toward diversifying military procurement away from single-source dependency.

The negotiations are at an early stage, and no timeline has been set for a contract award. The Swiss government has stated that the objective is to field an operational system as soon as possible, particularly if the Patriot delivery schedule slips further. The talks are expected to intensify in the coming months, with technical and financial offers under evaluation.