Switzerland Replacing its F-5s

Swiss F-5Es
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Dassault: “Oh, you meant our FINAL final offer…” (Jan 29/12)

The F-5E/F Tiger II was a follow-on upgrade to the wildly successful F-5 Freedom Fighter, a low-budget aircraft designed to capture the lower tier of the non-Soviet global fighter market in the 1960s and 1970s. A number of countries still operate F-5s, but the airframes are very old. While F-5 owners like Brazil, Chile, Thailand, et. al. have opted for comprehensive refurbishment and upgrades, Switzerland is looking to replace 3 of its 5 Tiger II squadrons with new aircraft under its Tiger-Teilersatz TTE program. The new fighters will partner with the 3 squadrons of upgraded F/A-18C/D Hornets that make up the rest of its fighter fleet.

An initial evaluation RFP was issued to 4 contenders, but Boeing’s withdrawal narrowed the selection to Sweden’s Gripen, France’s Rafale, or EADS’ Eurofighter. A 2010 suspension of the competition was followed by a measured revival, thanks to the latest budgets – and now, by a provisional winner. No matter who won, though, left-wing opponents of Switzerland’s military would be working hard to derail the purchase. It’s likely to face a national referendum, just like the 1993 F/A-18 Hornet sale…

• The Swiss Competition
• The Competitors
• Contracts & Key Events [updated]
• Additional Readings

The Swiss Competition

F-5Es, out on loan
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The Swiss bought 72 F-5E/F fighters in 1976, and another 38 in 1981, for a total of 110 (98 single-seat F5E, 12 two-seat F-5F). Switzerland currently flies about 54 F-5s; A squadron of 12 was leased to Austria while that country awaited their Eurofighters, and 44 other F-5Es were sold to the US Navy.

As the Schweizer Luftwaffe explains in its Jan 17/07 release, without new aircraft the ability to maintain full sovereignty air patrols would soon decline to just 2 week intervals – though 24-hour patrols might be maintained for more than 14 days in a year, by shortening the 24 hour coverage periods to a few days at a time, and staggering the periods:

“Sans le remplacement des F-5 Tiger, la capacité de maintenir la sauvegarde de la souveraineté sur l’espace aérien, d’assurer le service de police aérienne et de la défense aérienne serait massivement réduite. Avec seulement 33 F/A-18, une presence permanente (24 heures sur 24) de 4 appareils en vol ne pourrait être assurée que pendant deux semaines environ.”

The expected budget for the replacement program was just CHF 2.2 billion (in March 2009, about $1.95 billion/ EUR $1.45 billion), covering both new fighters and a 6 of PC-21 turboprop trainers. The 8 trainers became their own separate buy, and the low-cost bid for the fighter buy is now expected to total around CHF 3.1 billion (now around $3.5 billion, and expected to rise).

Swiss F/A-18Cs
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Getting there was an involved and convoluted process. Extensive testing of each model was undertaken by the Swiss air force, using several scenarios. With testing complete, Dassault, EADS and Saab were all invited to submit a second bid offer in January 2009, with bids due in April 2009. May 2009 was supposed see the release of the evaluation report prepared by armasuisse, and the Chief of Armament would consult with the Head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) and the Commander of the Swiss Air Force to decide. A winner was expected in July 2009, and the Partial Tiger Replacement was expected to be approved by the legislature alongside Armament Program 2010.

Instead, Switzerland’s fighter pick was postponed by the government, with no report or announcement of any kind until 2010. It wasn’t until 2011 that the political logjam broke, and the Swiss government elected to re-open bidding, make their fighter choice, and begin the political process of confirming it. The JAS-39 Gripen was picked in December 2011, and approval of the proposed acquisition is now expected as part of Armament Program 2012.

Even that won’t be the end of it. Whichever competitor won could always expect to face more political difficulties after their victory, and that remains true for Saab now. Switzerland’s purchase of 34 F/A-18 C/Ds, for instance, required a 1993 referendum organized by Switzerland’s socialist and Green parties. The deal passed, but Group for a Switzerland without an Army (GSoA) and their political party allies continue to try to block any fighter sale, from ballot proposals to ban “peace-time flights of combat-jets in tourist areas,” (making it almost impossible for the Schweizer Luftwaffe to train its pilots), to an expected referendum on the F-5 TTE program’s final contract. Win or lose, the process can be expected to delay a secure contract to 2013 or later.

The Competitors

RAF Typhoon & ASRAAM
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Switzerland competitors were all European 4.5 generation fighters: BAE/Saab (later just Saab – JAS-39 Gripen), Dassault (Rafale), and EADS (Eurofighter Typhoon). The original budget was just CHF 2.2 billion, to cover at least 22 fighters, plus additional Pilatus PC-21 advanced trainers. That proved to be unrealistic, and statements placed the fighter competition’s value at around CHF 3.4+ billion, before a winning bid was accepted at around CHF 3.1 billion for 22 aircraft. A finalized contract is still pending.

EADS’ Eurofighter. Neighboring Austria’s EUR 2 billion buy of just 18 Eurofighters was later reduced to EUR 1.63 billion for 15 Tranche 1 models, with only partial precision ground attack capability. In addition, Switzerland is just under 360 km/ 215 miles wide at its widest point, and its firm neutrality keeps its air force from deploying elsewhere. When these factors are added up, the twin-engine Eurofighter’s challenge is to avoid the perception of over-budget overkill. On the other hand, Eurofighter does offer commonality with Switzerland’s German, Austrian, and Italian neighbors, which could help with maintenance agreements and training costs.

In discussions we had with EADS Cassidian, they would say only that they were not the cheapest or the most expensive offer submitted, while confirming that “more than 18” Eurofighter Tranche 3 models were offered, with full multi-role capabilities. That put paid to speculation that they might submit a lower-priced offer, using existing Eurofighters from a core partner nation. Some of those nations had reportedly been considering sales of their earlier models, as a way to pay for Tranche 3 order commitments.

Rafale B
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Dassault’s Rafale The Rafale offers a comparable set of capabilities to the Eurofighter. It’s generally considered to be an inferior air superiority fighter, but it has good ground attack capabilities, and an array of integrated equipment that makes it a better multi-role aircraft than the Eurofighter. Operations over Libya in 2011 were an excellent advertisement for the Rafale, but its spotty integration with several American weapons used by the Schweizer Luftwaffe was a potential issue.

One would have thought that consistent losses in export competitions would keep the pressure on France to offer a very attractive deal. Could Dassault keep its price low enough, including initial training and spares, and offer weapon integration relief? The answer was apparently “no,” as Dassault’s December 2011 release conceded that their proposal offered fewer aircraft within the required budget, relative to the winner. That winner was…

Gripen weapon options
c. Gripen International
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Saab’s JAS-39 Gripen. The 3rd competitor was a single-engine lightweight multi-role fighter, rather than a medium sized twin-engine jet. Saab was always seen as offering the lowest price aircraft, with interesting options on tap like the lease-to-buy alternatives already in place in Hungary & The Czech Republic, and a strong record of success with industrial offset deals. The Gripen is also built for low maintenance costs, and data from operating air forces has confirmed that. Despite its size, the JAS-39 is a solid multi-role performer, with a large array of potential weapons; indeed, it’s pretty close to the current epitome of what a lightweight fighter should be.

For Switzerland, this fighter also offers unique commonality benefits. JAS-39C/D Gripens are delivered ready to use the LITENING reconnaissance and targeting pods that Switzerland is buying as upgrades for its Hornet fleet, and would use a GE/Volvo RB12 engine that’s very closely derived from the GE F404s powering Switzerland’s Hornets. The Gripen’s corresponding range handicap, which has often been a limiting factor in fighter competitions against this twin-engine cohort, is a complete non-issue in this competition.

Given the DDPS’ implicit need for numbers, the industrial offsets, and the potential political bonus of a sale from another neutral country, the Gripen always appeared to be very well positioned in this fight. The firm’s Jan 17/08 release was already stressing some of these factors – and the Gripen’s eventual selection in December 2011 validated that confidence.

Bowed Out

Hornet vs. Super Hornet
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Boeing’s F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet offered the advantage of some commonalities with Switzerland’s existing F/A-18C/D Hornet fleet, but in truth, commonality between the aircraft is under 30%. It’s also a mid-tier aircraft, with likely flyaway costs of $80-90 million.

It was difficult to imagine a scenario in which the original Swiss budget yielded enough Super hornet aircraft, and as is often the case in Europe, opposition to sales from American firms was also expected to be a factor. Concerns were also expressed about the ability to fit these aircraft into the Swiss aircraft shelters, many of which are carved into mountainsides; indeed, there had been rumors that the Super Hornet would be excluded from the competition on those grounds alone.

The Super Hornet offers solid performance, and was a legitimate competitor, with pricing that could match or beat competitors like the Rafale and Eurofighter – but it was flying into strong headwinds. In the end, the questions became moot. Boeing looked at the RFP requirements, and bowed out.

Contracts & Key Events

JAS-39s: incoming…
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Jan 29/12: Post-final offer?!? Dassault makes Switzerland a new offer: 18 Rafale fighters for SFR 2.7 billion (EUR 2.24 billion, $2.96 billion), instead of 22 Gripens for SFR 3.1 billion.

Jan 26/12: Anonymous accusations. An anonymous letter from a “Groupe pour une armee credible et integre” alleges that Switzerland’s benchmark fighter tests had their results manipulated. The accusations are seen as being detailed and specific enough to prompt Switzerland’s parliamentary sub-committee for security policy to investigate further. Switzerland’s 24 Heures [in French].

Dec 27/11: Switzerland’s Current Concerns runs an interview with Swiss Chief of the Armed Forces Gen. Andre Blattmann. Asked about the proposed Gripen deal, he says that all 3 planes met Switzerland’s specifications, that the entire cost package was the determining factor, and that Armasuisse’s separation from the Swiss military makes bribery very unlikely. He continues to urge a referendum to settle the political issue, and adds that:

“All three vendors must compensate the purchase price to one hundred per cent. Say: Swiss companies, above all small and medium sized businesses (KMU) in the high-tech area, must get export possibilities up to the financial extent of the fighter plane price. That is part of the deal…. compliance to this obligation is supervised by a joined office of Armasuisse, of Swissmem and the group of entrepreneurs GRPM in Western Switzerland…. All three aircraft manufacturers have already issued compensation deals of roughly 500 million francs in total.”

Dec 3/11: Socialists opposed. To no-one’s surprise, the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland (SPS) passes a resolution saying that it will launch a referendum campaign against any fighter buy. If that fails, it will seek to delay any purchase until 2025. AFP.

Dec 1/11: JAS-39 Gripen Picked. Switzerland announces their choice – and it’s Saab’s JAS-39 Gripen. Swiss Defence Minister Ueli Maurer estimates the cost of the envisaged deal at up to CHF 3.1 billion (currently $3.5 billion, probably more by 2014), for 22 planes. The DDPS explicitly stated that Gripen also won because it offered lower maintenance costs that made it affordable over the medium and long term. If the contract goes through, Switzerland will join Sweden, the Czech Republic, Hungary, South Africa, and Thailand as Gripen operators.

Dassault wasn’t very happy, though they did concede that the Gripen beat them on price:

“The RAFALE’s capacities would enable the Swiss Confederation to meet its operational requirements with a smaller number of aircraft [emphasis DID’s] at an equivalent or lower cost, as was demonstrated during the assessments…. The “Swiss-tailored” GRIPEN only exists on paper. Its technical development and production risk significantly increasing the financial efforts required of the Swiss Authorities to accomplish the country’s fighter aircraft program. RAFALE INTERNATIONAL extends its sincere thanks the 250 Swiss companies that took part in its industrial partnership project in the 26 cantons of the Swiss Confederation.”

The next step is for the DDPS and Saab to negotiate a draft contract, including details of the required matching value (100%) industrial offsets program in Switzerland. Contract options are scheduled for presentation by February 2012, whereupon the package will be proposed to the Swiss national parliament as part of the 2012 weapons plan. The catch is that the buy requires about CHF 600 million in savings from elsewhere. The government’s strategy is apparently to tie that savings program to the fighter order if a referendum is required, and even the proposal isn’t expected before 2013. This means that it’s likely to be 2014 before Saab has a production contract they can rely on. Swiss DDPS in French | German | Italian || Saab Group | Rafale International | Agence France Presse | Flight International’s The DEW Line | Sweden’s The Local.

Nov 20/11: Swiss Chief of the Armed Forces Lt. Gen. Andre Blattmann has gone on record in favor of a referendum over F-5 TTE program. His stance reflects confidence, saying “Si nous n’arrivons pas a convaincre le peuple, ce sera de notre faute,” but Parliament has already decided that its fighter purchase would not be validated by a referendum.

Under Swiss law, it’s possible to force one anyway with 50,000 signatures across at least 8 cantons, gathered within 100 days. The Swiss Green Party and their allies have stated that they intend to try. Swissinfo [French].

Nov 14/11: Aviation Week reports that the Swiss government is expected to announce the F-5 replacement program winner around mid-December 2011.

Sept 14/11: Budget re-opens TTE. A long and concerted lobbying effort by defense minister Mauer leads to approval by the Swiss House of Representatives and Senate for a SFR 5 billion per year armed forces budget, instead of SFR 4.4 billion. The difference is about $682 million per year, and some of that will reportedly be used for Switzerland’s fighter purchase.

Other funds will address army readiness, and keep the minimum number of soldiers in the Swiss militia army at 100,000, instead of dropping to just 75,000. As recently as 1990, the number of soldiers was 625,000, in line with Switzerland’s doctrine of pervasive, total defense. Swissinfo.

Hungarian Gripen C/Ds
c. Gripen International
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Aug 27/10: Suspension. With all of the contender evaluations done, Switzerland suspends the competition. Swiss Defence Minister Ueli Maurer confirms earlier rumors, saying that the defense and finance departments will work together and create a set of requirements for a purchase by 2015.

With respects to the Swiss evaluation process, the minister claims that the actual cost of replacing 22 F-5s would reach an estimated CHF 3.5 to 5.0 billion (EUR 2.7-3.8 billion, or $3.4-4.8 billion), between 50-100% more than the advertised budget. Meanwhile, the Swiss firm RUAG, who currently maintains the F/A-18 Hornet and F-5E/F fleets, is the only winner so far. defpro | Space Mart | Flight International.

Dec 17/10: More PC-21s. The Swiss air force orders another 2 Pilatus PC-21s for its Jet Pilot Training System, in a CHF 30 million deal that brings their total fleet to 8. Since 2009, Swiss pilots have transferred directly to the F/A-18 Hornet from the PC-21, after basic training on the PC-7.

Funding for the PC-21 and F-5 TTE program were originally grouped into a single account, but this eventually changed. Australian Aviation.

Dec 28/09: The Swiss DDPS admits that defense minister Ueli Maurer has asked the cabinet to suspend the new fighter purchase, in order to devote funds to the Army instead. A decision is expected in spring 2010. From the DDPS release, French version:

“Il n’est pas contesté que les 54 F-5 Tiger doivent être remplacés parce qu’ils sont âgés de plus de trente ans. Comme planifiées, les évaluations entreprises en vue de l’acquisition d’un nouvel avion de combat ont été achevées à la fin de cette année. Cependant, le conseiller federal Maurer estime que les moyens financiers prévus pour le remplacement du Tiger devraient être utilisés dans un premier temps pour « remettre en état » l’armée. Il a donc demandé au Conseil fédéral en octobre 2009 de renoncer pour le moment à l’achat de nouveaux avions de combat. Le Conseil federal prendra une decision au printemps prochain.”

Nov 6/09: Revised bids in. Armasuisse announces [in French] that all 3 competitors have submitted revised bids. Switzerland’s lengthened decision deadline requires corrections for inflation, and also for new technologies.

In related news, the Swiss DDPS plans to announce the results of the 3 competitors’ 2008 noise measurement tests in an upcoming press conference.

Oct 21/09: The Swiss Federal Council decides to maintain the timing of the partial replacement of the Tiger (TTE) competition, in spite of the proposed national referendum. It wants TTE plans and budgets included as part of the wider national defense review in Spring 2010, and plans to continue the evaluations in the mean time so as to be ready for budgeting in the 2011 Armament program. armasuisse [in German].

Oct 15/09: Swiss media report that Defence Minister Ueli Maurer asked the cabinet to drop the F-5 replacement project and spend the money on other equipment, logistics and military buildings instead. There are also reports that a recent defence ministry document concluded that even 22 planes would be difficult to purchase within Switzerland’s existing budget.

Swissinfo gives a rumored figure of about 12 planes maximum, but given known fighter costs for some of the contenders, that seems low. The Netherlands has been quoted $4.9 billion for 85 operational JAS-39NGs, for instance. Assuming even $2 billion of the planned $2.2 billion is available to the Swiss, and assuming a higher percentage of fixed costs given the smaller order, a comparable deal would still translate into about 33 aircraft.

A Swiss defence ministry spokesman would only say that the cabinet would take a final decision on the jets as planned in January 2010. Swissinfo | Reuters. Re: Gripen costs, see: KRO reporter video [Flash, in Dutch with some English] | Defense Aerospace KRO partial translation.

June 8/09: The Group for Switzerland without an Army hands in 107,000 signatures to the federal authorities, in support of a referendum initiative to block replacement of Switzerland’s fighter jet fleet.

A national referendum in Switzerland requires 100,000 signatures from eligible voters, in a country that had about 7.4 million residents in 2004. SwissInfo story.

May-June 2009: US Defense Acquisition University’s Defense AT&L Magazine runs “Sharpening the Spear Through Innovative Acquisition: The F-5 Adversary Program” [PDF]. It describes the US Navy and Marine Corps’ purchase of 44 Swiss F-5s from 2003-2005, in a “reverse Foreign Military Sale.”

Switzerland had originally purchased 70 F-5E/Fs from the USA in the late 1980s, but sharp cuts to the Swiss Air Force had left them with surplus planes. The Swiss aircraft had far lower flight-hours per airframe (average flight hours: 2,500) than American aggressor training squadron F-5Es (average flight hours: 7,000). They also added a number of useful improvements: an improved inertial navigation system, new radar warning receiver capability and chaff /flare capability, added anti-skid capability, improved airborne radar capability, and standardized cockpit configuration.

With Northrop Grumman’s close cooperation, the entire program was accomplished within a $43 million budget, avoiding a situation in which 73% of the Navy and Marines’ F-5 aggressor aircraft were expected to drop out of service by FY 2007 due to spiraling maintenance costs. The ex-Swiss planes can be identified by their new designation: F-5N.

March 25/09: Recommendation delay. Armasuisse announces that it will not deliver its fighter replacement recommendations until after December 2009. The Swiss Federal Council has instructed its DDPS defense sub-mnistry to submit a report on security policy by that date, and armasuisse will not deliver any recommendation before that report is released.

Reuters UK and some local Swiss media are speculating that the decision is linked to pressure from Germany and France to end Switzerland’s iconic bank secrecy laws. The logic seems flawed; if retaliation was the motive, simply selecting Sweden’s Gripen as the winner would more than suffice. If retaliation is not the motive, however, in could mean that the program as a whole is in trouble. Defence minister Ueli Maurer’s statements that the government would wait for the report then decide on whether it needed the new planes, adds weight to that interpretation. Armasuisse [in French] | defpro | Reuters UK.

Jan 15/09: Updated RFP. Armasuisse announces an updated RFP, in which the manufacturers are asked to do 2 things: The first is to submit an offer for 22 aircraft. The second is to explain how many aircraft can be delivered for the budgeted CHF 2.2 billion. Maintenance costs will also be evaluated, and the bidders now have a chance to refine that aspect if they wish.

The new RFP incorporates the results of the ground and flight tests, notes functions and performances which do not meet the military’s requirements, and offers an opportunity for additional improvements. Armasuisse also wants the manufacturers to arrange training for Swiss pilots at a base in the manufacturing country, and to submit proposals for cooperation with Swiss industry that enables Switzerland to participate in further development of the chosen fighter. The manufacturers now have until mid April 2009 to submit an updated offer.

Swiss F/A-18C
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Dec 9/08: Buy used? Proposals have apparently been floated to replace Switzerland’s fighters with used models of newer fighter types. The Swiss procurement agency armasuisse says that doesn’t make sense given the overhaul and upgrade requirements, and the aircraft’s short useful life. Armasuisse says that it would accept a used aircraft offer if it were submitted, but that offer would be evaluated on the same basis as the existing Eurofighter, Gripen, and Rafale bids.

While the issue has been discussed in terms of used F/A-18s, the most likely used aircraft candidates are actually the Eurofighter and Gripen. Eurofighter partner nations who do not wish to pay the penalties for canceling Tranche 3 purchases may find it expedient to sell their Tranche 1 aircraft as an offset, if re-export customers can be secured. The Swedish Air Force has been contemplating a sharp reduction in its JAS-39 fleet, and might also be interested in a government to government sale. Aviation Week Ares.

Dec 2/08: Testing done. Tests with the three candidates for the Partial Tiger Replacement (TTE) are now complete, and the go-forward schedule is declared. Armasuisse.

Nov 12/08: Reuters reports that the left-wing GSoA (Group for a Switzerland without an Army) continues to organize a referendum aimed at killing the new jet purchase. GSoA secretary Patrick Angele:

“The purchase is unnecessary from a security-political point of view. Fighter jets make too much noise and are damaging to the environment…. We have already secured 55,000 signatures [of the 100,000 required]. A representative poll by Demoscope shows that 66 percent of all voters are against the purchase. We are confident for the referendum.”

GSoA lost the previous anti-Hornet referendum 57% to 43%. Reuters.

Nov 6/08: The Eurofighter Typhoon lands in Switzerland to begin trials. Eurofighter GmbH.

Oct 10/08: Dassault’s Rafale fighter lands in Switzerland to begin trials. Armasuisse release.

JAS-39D test flight
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Aug 4/08: Armasuisse announces that flight tests of the JAS-39D Gripen are underway and on schedule.

July 2/07: Saab announces that it has submitted its proposal to Switzerland. They also announce conditional industrial cooperation agreements and possible joint programs with Rheinmetall Schweiz AG for “defence and civil security” projects, and with Pilatus Aircraft for design and manufacturing of aircraft components, development of composite structures, et. al. Bid submission release | Industrial cooperation release.

June 17/08: Flight test process. Armasuisse details the selection testing process for the Partial Tiger Replacement (TTE) program. Trials will take place at the Emmen airbase for the most part, though Meiringen, Sion and Payerne will also be used.

Each manufacturer will supply a 2-seat version of their fighter, to accommodate both a manufacturer test pilot and a Swiss pilot. Each candidate aircraft will then undertake about 30 flights, including night and supersonic flights. Swiss Hornet and Tiger fighters will also participate, executing about 50 flights overall as simulated targets and formation flying partners. The test scenarios are identical for all three candidates, with Saab JAS-39 Gripen going first from July 28 – August 22, Dassault’s Rafale’s trials from Oct 13 – Nov 7, and EADS Eurofighter finishing the series from Nov 10 – Dec 2/08.

All manufacturers will be invited to submit a second offer after the flight and ground tests, whose evaluation data will be added to procurement costs per aircraft, maintenance costs, infrastructure costs, and generation of noise. After submission of the second manufacturers’ offers and the subsequent evaluation report in May 2009, selection of the winning aircraft is planned for July 2009.

Pilatus PC-21
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April 30/08: PC-21 program underway, explained. Armasuise announces that they have carried out acceptance tests with the first 4 of their new PC-21 aircraft, at Pilatus Aircraft Ltd in Stans, Switzerland:

“With Armament Program 2006, the Swiss Parliament approved the purchase of the modern PC-21 training aircraft manufactured by the Swiss company. The system is to be used primarily for the training of jet pilots. Since the Hawk jet aircraft were decommissioned, this gap had to be filled by using the F-5E/F Tiger…. At the moment the air force will take over four aircraft and in the end have six aircraft in its inventory.”

In current Swiss budgetary proposals , the PC-21 and F-5 TTE replacement programs are grouped together under the same total spending limit.

April 30/08: Boeing out. A Boeing release announces that they won’t be bidding:

“After a thorough review of Switzerland’s requirements for partial replacement of its Tiger fighter aircraft, Boeing [NYSE: BA] has decided not to enter the competition due to the disparity between the requirements for an F-5 replacement aircraft and the next-generation capabilities of the F/A-18E/F Block II Super Hornet. Boeing values its long-standing partnership with Switzerland and looks forward to continuing its support and modernization of the F-18C/D as the Swiss Air Force moves into the future.”

See also Armasuisse release:

“The Department of Defence, civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) regrets the decision of Boeing, since the 33 F/A-18C/D of the same manufacturer have proven to be of excellent value in Switzerland. Boeing assured that despite the fact that it will not submit an offer for the partial Tiger replacement, the company will continue to provide its full support for the operation and modernisation of the C/D models. This particularly applies to the current supplementary equipment (Armament Program 03) and to the planned maintenance of capabilities (Armament Program 08).”

Jan 7/08: The competition begins. The competing firms are invited to submit their first offers by the middle of 2008, with in-flight evaluations to take place in Switzerland later in 2008. The DDPS will then propose a winner and budget to the federal Council, and Parliament will be asked to authorize acquisition of the new fighters as part of Switzerland’s 2010 budget.

The costs of acquiring the Tiger replacement aircraft, as well as additional Swiss Pilatus PC-21 advanced turpoprop training aircraft to add to the 6 already ordered, is estimated at approximately 2.2 billion francs (currently about $2 billion/ EUR $1.36 billion). DDSP release [French] | Gripen International release, where the Swedish competitor was quick to emphasize its own advantages:

”[Gripen International Sales and Marketing Director for Switzerland] Manne Koerfer also emphasized that Gripen is the independent choice, resulting in less dependencies, and that the offer to Switzerland will also include industrial co-operation characterized by partnerships of equals.”

March 23/06: Saab Aerosystems appoints Swiss firm RUAG as single source supplier for drop tanks to the Gripen. At the same time, an initial EUR 4 million order for more than 60 export drop-tanks was announced, with first deliveries scheduled for August 2007.

Additional Readings

• Saab Group – The Gripen Solution for Switzerland

• Schweitzer Luftwaffe – Tiger-Teilersatz TTE [in German]

• Schweitzer Luftwaffe – Northrop F-5E Tiger II [in German]

• Schweitzer Luftwaffe – Northrop F-5F Tiger II [in German]

• International Relations and Security Network (Sept 15/08) – Swiss acquisition ambitions. In-depth analysis of the F-5 replacement, and its possible political/ referendum hurdles.

• Air Force Technology – PC-21 Turboprop Trainer, Switzerland

• Air Force Technology – Eurofighter Typhoon Multi-Role Combat Fighter, Europe

• DID FOCUS Article – The JAS-39 Gripen: Sweden’s 4+ Generation Wild Card

• Air Force Technology – Gripen Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft, Sweden

• Air Force Technology – Rafale Multi-Role Combat Fighter, France

• Naval Technology – F/A-18E/F Super Hornet – Maritime Strike Attack Aircraft, USA

• DID Spotlight – The USA’s 2005-2009 Multi-Year Hornet Procurement Contract. Covers the Super Hornet variants and their contracts.

• US Defense Acquisition University’s Defense AT&L Magazine (May-June 2009) – Sharpening the Spear Through Innovative Acquisition: The F-5 Adversary Program” [PDF]. Details the Navy’s repurchase of F-5s from Switzerland.