Switzerland is mulling abandoning plans to purchase the Patriot missile defense system amid recurring delays stemming from conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. The development comes months after Geneva sliced its F-35 order due to price hikes.
Switzerland ordered five Patriot systems from the United States in 2022, through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route. As per the schedule agreed upon by the two parties, the delivery of the missile defense system was to begin in 2026 and conclude by 2028.
In July 2025, the Swiss Defense Ministry (DDPS) said in a statement that it had been informed that the Pentagon would “reprioritize the delivery of Patriot systems to support Ukraine, focusing on ground-based air defense.” “This also affects Switzerland, which will receive its production batches later than planned,” it added.
More recently, Switzerland’s national armaments director was informed about possible delays and additional costs in February 2026.
Swiss discontent with the delays appears to have turned into frustration, with Swiss Defense Minister Martin Pfister warning that the country could abandon the purchase altogether, as reported by Swiss media.
“A waiver is always an option in the event of a delay”, Pfister said on the sidelines of a press conference earlier. “We are still working on the assumption that it will be delivered, but we don’t know when,” the Defense Minister emphasized, indicating that a final decision on the fate of the Patriot acquisition has yet to be taken.
Pfister said that Switzerland is negotiating all options with the US. “A possible abandonment is part of that, but we don’t know the conditions.”
Switzerland had stopped payments for the ordered equipment due to delivery delays and uncertainty. However, Swiss media reports claim the US tried to bypass the freeze by redirecting payments intended for Switzerland’s F-35 fighters to the Patriot missile program.
The FMS program enables US authorities to transfer funds between programs by combining payments for several defense projects into a single fund.
The reports noted that Urs Loher, the director general of armaments, finds it “highly unsatisfactory” that the US is allocating F-35 funds to the Patriot fund, particularly as several hundred million Swiss francs are at stake.
Meanwhile, the Federal Council indicated on April 1, 2026, that the suspension of payments would remain in place until the US announces new delivery dates and payment deadlines.
The statement about the possible axing of the Patriot purchase comes a month after the Swiss defense ministry said the delivery schedule could slip by 4 to 5 years, which would push up prices. Swiss officials estimated that the initial Patriot order, valued at 2 billion francs, could cost up to 50% more after accounting for the latest delay.
At the time, the ministry also announced that it had decided to cut its F-35A fifth-generation fighter jet order by 6 aircraft, reducing the fleet to 30. The decision was reportedly taken due to a significant increase in aircraft prices.
“For fiscal reasons, the [Swiss] Federal Council will not request an additional appropriation to reach the originally planned number of 36 aircraft,” said Bern in a statement. Further, it noted that an additional 1.1 billion CHF, or $1.4 billion, would be needed to fund such a procurement.
As far as the Patriots are concerned, the ongoing war in the Middle East has led to an extensive use of Patriot interceptors by the Gulf countries to down Iranian drones and missiles, leading to a rapid depletion of interceptors, which could contribute to further delays.
The Swiss government last month ordered the Federal Department of Defense to “immediately” assess another long-range air defense, preferably produced in Europe.
“This second system should preferably be produced in Europe,” Pfister was quoted as saying at the time. “Concretely, this means that it must be a European system or a non-European system manufactured in Europe. That way, we will no longer be dependent on a single supply chain or a single country, and will be better able to ensure availability.”
Currently, the only European alternative to the American Patriot is the French SAMP/T, which French President Emmanuel Macron has been promoting, citing the need for European self-reliance.
Increasing Patriot Production
Patriot systems, particularly advanced interceptors like PAC-3 MSE (Missile Segment Enhancement), face manufacturing constraints. Additionally, global demand, driven by multiple conflicts, has made it very difficult for producers to keep up, leading to inadvertent delays and significant cost rises.
Earlier, the US acquired PAC-3 missiles from Japan, manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries under a US license from Lockheed Martin, as previously reported by the EurAsian Times. The US had requested that the JASDF transfer some of these interceptors so it could continue assisting Ukraine without depleting its own stockpiles.
However, there has been a surge in demand since the 12-Day Iran-Israel war, which has now expanded significantly in the wake of Operation Epic Fury. The US approved the potential sale of 730 Patriot air defense missiles to Saudi Arabia in January 2026. Meanwhile, it reported the sale of Patriot PAC-3 Missiles worth about $5.6 billion last month amid the ongoing war.
To keep up, the US is making urgent efforts to boost domestic production. On April 1, 2026, American aerospace giant Boeing announced it had reached a framework agreement with the Pentagon to quadruple the seeker capacity of the Patriot Advanced Capability-3.
“Boeing-built seekers enable U.S. and allied PAC-3 interceptors to identify, track, and defeat advanced threats ranging from hostile aircraft and hypersonics to ballistic and cruise missiles. The framework agreement enables a massive increase in the supply of seekers needed to expand the protection provided by the world’s most advanced air defense system,” the Boeing press statement highlighted.
The contract will be valid for seven years, and comes months after Lockheed signed a seven-year framework agreement in January to expand annual PAC-3 interceptor production from 600 to 2,000. The Boeing agreement will support the Lockheed agreement to bolster all-around production.
“This agreement paves the way for us to scale rapidly to deliver increasingly sophisticated seekers,” Bob Ciesla, vice president of Boeing Precision Engagement Systems, said in a release announcing the deal. “In 2025, we increased deliveries by over 30%, and we’re excited for the opportunity to grow our highly skilled workforce.”
Last week, the Pentagon also announced an agreement with Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems to increase the manufacturing of infrared seekers for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor.
Notably, both Patriot and THAAD have been extensively used to shoot down an incoming barrage of drones and ballistic missiles launched from Iran’s IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps) forces.
In fact, the use of these expensive interceptors in shooting down cheap and expendable Iranian Shahed-class drones has come under scrutiny, as have the depleting stockpiles that impact readiness in a potential West Pacific conflict.
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