To discuss the current issues and the further procedure concerning the planned procurement of the F-35A, National Armaments Director Martin Sonderegger will travel together with Peter Winter, Head of competence sector Aeronautical Systems and Programme Director of Air2030, to the USA.

The Swiss delegation will meet with representatives of the manufacturer Lockheed Martin as well as the US administration. Among other things, the programme will include discussions on the current status of the F-35 programme as well as the planned offset activities of Lockheed Martin in Switzerland. The possibility of a production of the future F-35A of the Swiss Air Force in Cameri, Italy will also be discussed. The Swiss delegation will also gain an impression of the production of the F-35 during a visit to the Lockheed Martin plant in Fort Worth, Texas.

The planned procurement entered the next phase when the Federal Council decided on the F-35A Lockheed Martin for the Swiss Air Force on June 30, 2021. Since then, talks have intensified based on the submitted offer and the Armed Forces Dispatch 2022 has been prepared, with its main focus on the procurement of the new fighter aircraft and the renewal of the extended range ground-based air defence system (Bodluv GR).

Air2030: National Armaments Director meets manufacturer of the F-35A in the USA