US reschedules Patriot shipments to Switzerland amid Ukraine support

Switzerland’s order of Patriot missile systems has been delayed again, as the United States is currently prioritising shipments to Ukraine.

The Swiss defence ministry said in a press release on July 16 that it was informed by the US Department of Defence that deliveries of Patriot systems are being rescheduled to increase support for Ukraine, Caliber.Az reports citing SWI.

The delay stems from Washington’s effort to help countries that have sent weapons to Kyiv by allowing them to quickly replenish supplies through US procurement.

As a result, Switzerland’s delivery will occur later than expected. The country ordered five units of the mobile missile interceptor system for long-range, ground-based air defence in 2022, with deliveries originally set to begin in 2027 and conclude in 2028.

The Swiss defence ministry said it remains uncertain how many systems will be delayed or whether the delivery of the guided missiles will also be impacted.

One year ago, the US had already warned Switzerland that deliveries of the PAC-3 MSE version of Patriot missiles—approved by Parliament in 2023 after the system order—would be postponed to support Ukraine.

So far, 19 countries have purchased the Raytheon-built missile system, with over 250 Patriot fire units deployed worldwide. According to Tom Laliberty, Raytheon’s president of land and air defence systems, the US operates 85–90 units, with the rest in use by the other 18 countries.

By Nazrin Sadigova