BERN — Switzerland is weighing whether to cancel its multi-billion-dollar purchase of the U.S.-made Patriot air defence system after facing long delays in delivery, Defence Minister Martin Pfister said on Wednesday, according to Euro News.
The decision, he stressed, has not yet been made but patience is wearing thin. “Cancellation is always an option in the event of a delay,” Pfister told the Swiss news agency ATS-Keystone.
The delay marks a major setback for the deal signed in 2022, when neutral Switzerland ordered five Patriot systems to strengthen its air defences. Delivery was supposed to begin this year and be completed by 2028. But the U.S. Department of Defense informed Bern last summer that deliveries would be postponed, as Washington prioritizes support for Ukraine amid the ongoing war with Russia.
In response, Switzerland froze its payments for the system last autumn and reaffirmed that stance this week. The Defence Ministry said payments will remain on hold “until the United States has firmly announced new delivery dates and payment deadlines.”
“We are still assuming that delivery will happen, but we don’t know when,” Pfister said, adding that several options were under review. “A possible cancellation is one of them, but we don’t yet know on what terms.”
The situation became more complicated last week after Swiss officials accused the U.S. of sidestepping the payment freeze. According to the Defence Ministry, Washington withdrew funds from a shared account, money Switzerland had intended for its purchase of F‑35A fighter jets, to keep the Patriot program moving forward.
The head of Switzerland’s armament department, Urs Loher, later confirmed that the move had been authorized. Still, Swiss officials warned that if the fund’s liquidity continues to drop, certain defence projects may be paused or even scrapped altogether. “This could affect not only the Patriot system but also other U.S.-Swiss defence programs,” the ministry cautioned.
Washington has promised to provide updated timelines, costs, and possible consequences of any interruption in the coming weeks. A formal recommendation on whether Switzerland should proceed or pull out is expected by the end of June 2026.
