Switzerland's $7.6B F-35 Purchase Stalls Over Price, Lawmakers Consider Extending Fighter Jet Service Life Into 2030s

According to Jin10, Switzerland's 6 billion Swiss franc ($7.6 billion) F-35 fighter jet purchase from the U.S. hit a price standoff on June 4, with lawmakers proposing to extend the service life of the country's F-5 Tiger and F/A-18 fighters into the 2030s to avoid "significant degradation" of combat capability due to delays in Lockheed Martin's F-35 delivery.

Defense Minister Martin Pfister opposed the extension, warning it would incur costs in the millions of Swiss francs and claiming the proposal serves neither Switzerland's security interests nor its fiscal responsibility to the public.