What Happened
Parliament Considers Extending Service Life Of Aging Fighter Jets
Swiss lawmakers are considering extending the service life of the country’s aging F-5 Tiger and F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets due to delays and cost overruns in the F-35A Lightning II procurement program. The proposal, backed by the National Council’s Security Policy Committee, would task the government with presenting an updated air-defense risk scenario and examining the temporary continuation of F-5 operations and an extended service life for the F/A-18 fleet. The government has recommended rejecting the proposal, citing the high cost of operating all three types in parallel. The development was first reported by AeroTime.