The war in Iran is changing the situation dramatically for Switzerland: it will be without air defense for years because the USA needs the Patriot systems itself. Federal Councilor Martin Pfister wants to react.
03/06/2026, 07:5303/06/2026, 07:53
Othmar von Matt / ch media
“Now we know why the Americans went to the diving station opposite us,” says Center National Councilor Reto Nause, also President of the Swiss Security Alliance. “They knew for a long time that they were attacking Iran.”
Switzerland has ordered five Patriot systems from the USA. Now it’s clear: They won’t come for years.Image: keystone
The USA went into diving with the five Patriot systems that Switzerland ordered in 2022 for two billion francs. In the summer, official news came from the USA that deliveries were being delayed because Ukraine was being given priority. Later there was total radio silence.
Switzerland didn’t know what was going on. The situation has now been clarified. Delivery of the Patriot systems, which was scheduled for between 2026 and 2028, has been delayed by years. The USA needs the available Patriot systems and missiles itself. It is now also clear why US President Donald Trump threatened US defense companies on January 7th to ban dividend distributions and share buybacks.
Trump wanted “America first” in the defense industry – because of the Iran war. The US President was particularly harsh on Patriot manufacturer Raytheon. He criticized the company as being the least responsive to the needs of the US War Department.
A dramatic situation for Switzerland
The Patriot ground air defense system with a long range (up to 160 kilometers) is considered the backbone of ground-based air defense in many NATO countries. This is exactly how Patriot was intended for Switzerland. The five fire units should cover 15,000 of Switzerland’s 41,285 square kilometers, a third.
Now Switzerland, as a third country, has slipped far back in the priority list. This is dramatic for the country. This means that it will lack any ground-air defense until the end of 2028. The five medium-range Iris-T systems ordered (up to 40 kilometers) from the German defense company Diehl Defense should arrive from the end of 2028 to 2031.
Security politician Nause sounds the alarm. “If we can procure a European long-range air defense system, we have to do that,” he says. He is referring to Samp/T, the long-range system (up to 150 kilometers) from the French-Italian arms company Eurosam. Its Secretary General Jérôme Dufour said in the “NZZ am Sonntag” that it could deliver its systems by 2029. Samp/T is operationally tested in Ukraine.
“We should take everything we get”
“We should take everything we can get,” says security politician Nause. “We cannot procure enough air defense systems to protect our country well.” In addition to aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles and rockets, Switzerland must also be able to defend against drones weighing three to 300 kilograms. “We also need fighter jets against hypersonic missiles.”
There are many indications that Federal Councilor Martin Pfister will propose exactly that to the Federal Council on Friday. Pfister wants to continue Patriot procurement, but supplement it with Samp/T systems.
Federal Councilor Martin Pfister apparently wants to propose his new plans today.Image: keystone
Councilor of States Dittli wants answers to open questions
“I now expect Federal Councilor Pfister to give conceptual considerations on the question of how we want to protect the airspace with the available resources,” demands FDP Councilor of States Josef Dittli. “And which arms deals we will put aside for this.”
Dittli is also addressing procurement for medium and short-range ground-air defense and for drone defense. With Iris-T, Switzerland is procuring a medium-range defense system. The country also wants to invest 670 million in drone defense over the next ten years.
MBDA, the European defense company with locations in France, Great Britain, Italy, Germany and Spain, offers the entire range in these areas: with Mistral 3, a portable short-range air defense system (up to 8 kilometers), with the ground-based medium-range air defense system VL Mica (up to 40 kilometers) and the Sky Warden drone defense system.
Why Switzerland can come into focus
Centrist security politician Nause also sees dangers for Switzerland with the war in Iran. “Iran is pursuing a new strategy,” he says. “He is expanding the conflict geographically indiscriminately in order to cause maximum damage and thus make it as expensive as possible.”
Nause fears “that future aggressors will adopt this pattern if conflicts arise in Europe,” as he says. “Iran is also attacking the Gulf states, most of which acted as mediators. This shows that Switzerland can also be threatened overnight, despite its neutrality.”
This is unlikely to come from Iran. His rockets did not reach Switzerland. “Russia, on the other hand, stores rockets and cruise missiles in Kaliningrad,” says Nause, “that make it to Switzerland.” That’s why he hopes for one thing: “That the Swiss population will finally realize how radically the threat situation has changed.” (aargauerzeitung.ch)