The Swiss Government has approved funding in its 1998 defence budget for the purchase of 12 Eurocopter Cougar Mk1 military transport helicopters for the Swiss army. The deal, which is expected to be signed in December, is thought to be worth around SFr320 million ($210 million) and will increase to 27 the number of Cougars in service with the army. The budget also provides SFr489 million for modernisation of the ground-based air surveillance system originally supplied by Hughes and Thomson-CSF.
Source: Flight International
