Switzerland says cancelling U.S. Patriot missile system order an option

ZURICH, April 1 (Reuters) – The Swiss government will continue to withhold payments to the United States for an order of the Patriot missile system until Washington provides binding delivery dates and said terminating the purchase is an option, it said on Wednesday.

The government said in a statement that the delivery schedule and payment stages remain unclear.

Defense Minister Martin Pfister said the government was still waiting to receive the system but was not ruling out anything.

“We are currently discussing all possible options with the United States, and that includes a potential termination,” he told reporters at a news conference, noting that it was not clear what the terms of any termination would be.

The government said it postponed payment for the F-35A fighter jet order until the end of March 2026 to ensure that decisions regarding the Patriot system do not jeopardize aircraft supply.

The Ministry of Defense said it plans to inform Switzerland’s governing Federal Council by the end of June about the next steps regarding the procurement of the Patriot system.

(Written by Miranda Murray and Dave Graham; Editing by Matthias Williams)