Switzerland has made an advance payment of 500 million Swiss francs (approximately 540 million euros) to the United States for the purchase of F-35A fighter jets.
The head of the Swiss Air Force confirmed the transaction in an interview with 'Nzz am Sonntag', citing growing security concerns in Europe as the primary driver for accelerating the procurement process.
The move signals a tangible shift in Swiss defense policy, moving from long-term planning to immediate capital commitment.
By front-loading payments, Bern is securing its position in the Lockheed Martin production queue and demonstrating a willingness to deepen military interoperability with NATO allies, despite its traditional stance of armed neutrality.
This defense expenditure occurs against a backdrop of complex economic relations between the two nations.
Recent Handelsavisen analysis noted that Switzerland’s trade relationship with the US has shifted from a surplus to a deficit, a development that could provide Swiss President Guy Parmelin with new leverage in upcoming tariff negotiations.