Swiss Considering Rival Air Defences After Washington Delays Patriots Over Iran War
Source: US News & World Report/Reuters
May 13, 2026, at 7:01 a.m.
ZURICH, May 13 (Reuters) - Switzerland said on Wednesday it will look into whether to buy air-defence systems from other suppliers, after the United States informed it that long-delayed Patriot missile systems will be held up further because of the war in Iran.
Switzerland ordered the five Patriot missile-defence systems in 2022 with an initial expectation they would be supplied in 2026-2028, a timeline that has already slipped by four to five years because of the war in Ukraine.
The government said it had now been told by Washington that the Iran war would lead to additional delays and cost increases, with a delay of five to seven years now to be expected. "All options would lead to delivery delays as well as substantial additional costs," the government said.
Switzerland expects to receive feedback by the end of the month from five additional suppliers of long-range ground-based air-defence systems, the government said. It did not identify the suppliers but said they came from Germany, France, Israel and South Korea. It said it would prefer if the systems are produced in Europe.
Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2026-05-13/united-states-informs-switzerland-of-delays-price-hike-in-patriot-delivery
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