Media releases
NSB
GBAD MR: Contract on cooperative procurement for medium-range ground-based air defence signed
Switzerland is procuring five IRIS-T SLM systems for ground-based air defence. These will protect the population from medium-range threats from the air. The procurement is part of the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI). The contract for Switzerland has now been signed between the Federal Office of Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support of the German Armed Forces and the manufacturer Diehl Defence GmbH & Co. KG, after the Federal Office for Defence Procurement armasuisse gave authorisation to do so.
National Armaments Director meets with the Armaments Directors from Germany and Austria for the annual trilateral discussions in Vienna
National Armaments Director Urs Loher travelled to Vienna from 17 to 18 July 2025 to take part in the D-A-CH meetings with the Armaments Directors from Germany and Austria. The main topics of the exchange were ongoing armament procurements and trilateral cooperation.
Patriot GBAD systems: US informs Switzerland on delayed delivery
The United States Department of Defense has informed the DDPS that it will reprioritize the delivery of Patriot systems to support Ukraine, focusing on ground-based air defense. This also affects Switzerland, which will receive its production batches later than planned. The Federal Council has been notified.
GBAD MR: National Armaments Director signs programme agreement as part of European Sky Shield Initiative with the German Federal Ministry of Defence
The National Armaments Director, Urs Loher, and the German National Armaments Director, Vice Admiral Carsten Stawitzki, have signed the programme agreement as part of the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI) for the cooperative procurement of IRIS-T SLM systems of medium-range ground-based air defence (GBAD MR) from the German manufacturer Diehl Defence GmbH & Co. KG. The programme agreement which the Federal Council approved on 20 June 2025 is a requirement for a procurement contract on the GBAD MR systems. Switzerland can benefit from economies of scale and an improved interoperability of the systems through this joint procurement.
Air2030: Current challenges and future steps
Over recent months, a number of challenges have arisen in the Air2030 programme to renew funding for air space protection. The Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) today updated the Federal Council on the current status of the procurement process for the new fighter aircraft F-35A. The Federal Council is supporting the DDPS in the next stages of the procurement procedure and in the diplomatic talks on the fixed price. It still considers this price to be valid. The Federal Council remains committed to procuring the F-35A.
Idea competition for recovering ammunition from Swiss lakes: Evaluation is ongoing
In August 2024, the Federal Office for Defence Procurement armasuisse launched an idea competition for the environmentally-friendly and safe recovery of ammunition from Swiss lakes. The announcement of the results, scheduled for the end of May 2025, has been postponed. Due to the complexity of the ideas, the evaluation is taking more time than planned.
Contact
Federal Office for Defence Procurement
Guisanplatz 1
CH - 3003 Bern