CHRISTINA MACKENZIE / PARIS
Switzerland's newly appointed armed forces chief Christophe Keckeis says evaluations to replace the air force's ageing fleet of Northrop F-5E and F-5F Tiger air-defence/trainer aircraft will begin this year, despite a reduction in the annual defence budget from SFr4.3 billion to SFr4 billion ($3.2 billion).
Acontract for up to 20 new fighters must be signed in 2007 to enable deliveries of two to four aircraft a year to begin from 2010, says Keckeis.
Switzerland's Armasuisse procurement agency says the air force's remaining F-5s will be grounded within the next two months. The US Navy has so far acquired 31 of the aircraft, and has an option to acquire a further 32. Armasuisse is seeking buyers for the rest.
In addition to withdrawing its F-5s, half of the air force's 33 Boeing F/A-18A/B Hornets "are grounded for technical revisions or electronic updates", Keckeis says in an interview with Lausanne daily 24 heures. "To ensure that we can police our airspace in peacetime, we need about 30 aircraft ready to take off," he says.
Switzerland's new armed forces model, Army XXI, came into effect on 1 January, following its approval by parliament last May. "If we want [the model] to succeed, we must have armaments programmes of SFr1.2-1.7 billion from 2007," says Keckeis.
Source: Flight International
