SRF: Germany rejects Swiss request for Patriot system components

Germany has rejected a request from Switzerland to supply components for Patriot air defence systems, citing the need to replenish its own stocks after transferring similar systems to Ukraine, Swiss broadcaster SRF reports.

Urs Locher, head of Switzerland’s armaments agency Armasuisse, confirmed that previously discussed bilateral options for resolving the issue were no longer feasible.

Switzerland’s planned delivery of Patriot systems was already disrupted last year after the United States decided to redirect the weapons shipment to Germany. The move was intended to help Berlin quickly address gaps in its air defence capabilities following its military support for Ukraine.

Switzerland subsequently sought an agreement with Germany to obtain some of the equipment, but the proposal failed to materialise because of differences in the technical configurations of the systems.

The disruption has created significant logistical and financial consequences for Switzerland, delaying deliveries and substantially increasing the cost of the programme.

According to Locher, additional expenditure could reach 4.3 billion Swiss francs, more than twice the programme’s original budget of 2 billion francs.

By Sabina Mammadli