DefenceTalkSwiss lawmakers voted Thursday to proceed with the controversial purchase of F-35 fighter jets without holding a referendum sought by opponents of the deal. The lower house National Council gave the government the go-ahead to buy the 36 aircraft from US manufacturer Lockheed Martin by a large majority. The upper house, the Council of States […]https://www.defencetalk.com/path-clear-for-swiss-purchase-of-us-f-35-fighter-jets-79419/

DefenceTalkGermany will seek talks with Switzerland on nuclear waste storage, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Monday, as Berlin warned that a Swiss facility close to the border would “heavily burden” communities on the other side. Germany would have to discuss the decision “through the usual channels with all those responsible in the Swiss government”, Scholz said […]https://www.defencetalk.com/germany-seeks-swiss-nuclear-waste-talks-after-storage-decision-79391/

DefenceTalkA Swiss alliance seeking to block the purchase of F-35 fighter jets said Friday it had received nearly enough support to put the controversial military contract to a referendum. The left-wing Stop F-35 alliance said it had almost secured the 100,000 signatures required under Switzerland’s direct democracy system to force an issue to a vote. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/move-to-block-swiss-f-35-purchase-gains-support-78832/

DefenceTalkRussia’s invasion of Ukraine has reawakened interest in Switzerland’s concrete nuclear fallout shelters, built during the Cold War with enough space to shelter everyone in the country. Since the 1960s, every Swiss municipality has had to build nuclear bunkers for their residents, while such shelters have also been mandatory in all homes and residential buildings […]https://www.defencetalk.com/swiss-cold-war-bunkers-back-in-vogue-as-ukraine-conflict-rages-78582/

DefenceTalkSwitzerland’s army has banned the use of WhatsApp whilst on duty, a spokesman confirmed Thursday, in favor of a Swiss messaging service deemed more secure in terms of data protection. The ban also applies to using other messaging apps like Signal and Telegram on soldiers’ private phones during service operations. At the end of December, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/swiss-army-bans-whatsapp-at-work-77630/

GENEVA: Outraged commentators warned Wednesday that revelations the CIA and Germany’s intelligence service had for decades used a Swiss encryption company for spying had seriously damaged Switzerland’s cherished reputation for neutrality. Critics voiced particular concern that Bern may have been at least tacitly complicit in the secret operation. Switzerland, which takes pride in its neutral […]

BERN: The second request for proposal for new fighter aircraft and new extended-range ground-based air defence systems has been issued to the government authorities of the manufacturer countries. armasuisse is expecting proposals by August 2020. On 10 January 2020, armasuisse has issued the second request for proposal for new fighter aircraft to the government authorities […]

General Dynamics European Land Systems-Mowag announced today that it signed a contract with armasuisse on November 18th, 2019, for the delivery of 100 protected EAGLE 6×6 reconnaissance vehicles for the Swiss Army. The EAGLE 6×6 was selected after an international competition conducted by armasuisse, the Swiss federal office for defence procurement. This first order of […]

DefenceTalkElbit Systems has been awarded a $200 million contract from the Swiss Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport (“DDPS”), for the supply of Hermes 900 HFE (Heavy Fuel Engine) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and an advanced ground segment for command, control and communications. The contract, to be performed over a four-year period, follows […]https://www.defencetalk.com/elbit-to-supply-hermes-900-hfe-uavs-to-switzerland-65925/

DefenceTalkSwitzerland’s parliament on Monday voted in favour of a controversial plan to buy six Israeli surveillance drones worth 250 million Swiss francs ($256 million, 230 million euros). The upper house of the Swiss parliament approved the purchase of six unarmed Hermes 900 drones with 30 votes in favor and 12 opposed, confirming the lower chamber’s […]https://www.defencetalk.com/swiss-to-buy-israeli-drones-65290/