Two and a half years after a referendum shot down plans to buy Gripen fighters, the Swiss defense ministry has launched another attempt to replace its F-5E Tiger and F-18C fighters, and plans to sign a contract by 2022. (Aviapic.ch photo)
Parmelin’s strategy was based on a report prepared by a group of experts about possibilities for purchasing new planes. He told the press on Monday that rushing the process and procuring new jets more quickly, as several parliamentarians have argued for, would be “the worst” possible decision because “a serious approach” must be taken to avoid setbacks.
However, Parmelin did call on parliament to rapidly grant a CHF10 million ($9.8 million) loan for the evaluation and selection process of new planes. Cabinet’s submission to parliament of the 2017 army budget at the beginning of next year will mark the official beginning of that process.
The scope of the evaluation of new planes remains to be determined, with the possibility of limiting it to three jets (Gripen, Eurofighter and Rafale models) or just one of those three.
In any case, Parmelin foresees choosing the new planes by 2020 and obtaining funding for the purchase by 2022. The jets should become operational between 2025 and 2030 under the defence minister’s plan. (end of excerpt)
Click here for the full story, on the SwissInfo website.
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Initial Report from the Expert Group on New Fighter Aircraft and Immediate Recommendations
(Source: Swiss Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport; issued Nov 21, 2016)
On August 27, 2014, the Federal Council presented a roadmap to secure national air space over the long term (report following the Galladé 12.4130 postulate). It defines the level of performance that the Air Force must achieve over the long term and demonstrates how it must be developed to achieve it. The working group considers that it is necessary to have a new combat aircraft and that the procedure for its acquisition must be undertaken within the next three or four years.
The purchase of the first series of aircraft should be carried out under the 2022 weapons program, with the second series scheduled for about five years.
On 24 February 2016, the head of the DDPS informed the Federal Council of the preparatory work for the evaluation of a new combat aircraft, following which the DDPS set up an internal group of experts composed of representatives of the main fields of competence of the armed forces, armasuisse (the defense procurement agency—Ed.)and the General Secretariat.
This group has been mandated to answer the fundamental questions related to military requirements, procedures and industrial aspects, and to present its findings in a report by spring 2017 - taking into account the possible continuation of work in the field of ground-based air defense after the provisional suspension of the DSA 2020 project (BODLUV 2020).
The experts will be supported by an external body with which they will deal with the fundamental aspects of the acquisition. The terms of reference stipulate that the experts must also clarify issues relating to the future of combat aircraft currently in service, namely the F / A-18C / D Hornet and the F-5 Tiger.
Purpose of the Report
Experts are currently reviewing the contents of the report, and regularly exchange information with the external support group. So far, work has focused on the analysis of the requirements in terms of air defense assets (combat aircraft and ground-to-air defense), the degree of achievement of the performance goals set by the Federal Council for 2020, and the presentation of development options. On the basis of these considerations, the expert group will formulate its recommendations to the questions asked by the government. This work is under way, and the report will be available in the spring of 2017.
The experts however acknowledged that the final report would appear too late for certain decisions, which must be taken without delay. The purpose of this brief interim report is therefore to make recommendations for such decisions.
Measures needed in the coming months
In order to ensure sufficient freedom of maneuver during the procurement phase planned for the 2020s, the DDPS chief has decided three concrete measures, namely:
-- The granting of a credit line of 10 million francs for the new combat aircraft project studies, tests and preparatory purchases (EEP), which will be requested from Parliament as part of the request for the “Army 2017” project;
-- The continuation of work to extend the period of use of the F / A-18C / D (cost ceiling of 490 million francs), in particular in order to have an overview of the necessary appropriations before the measure is requested from Parliament according to current plans, at the latest as part of the message on “Army 2018;”
-- The temporary suspension of the retirement of the F-5 Tiger fleet, in order to be able, if necessary, to continue operating even a part of this fleet after 2018.
These three measures are urgent. They depend on each other and represent important steps for the rest of the procedure. They must be taken before the experts' report is published, otherwise the deadlines (e.g. EEP credit request early enough for inclusion in the message to Parliament) cannot be met.
If such decisions were delayed until the report is published, the implementation of the measures would be delayed by at least one year.
Further information
-- Summary report: Initial Report from the Expert Group on New Fighter Aircraft and Immediate Recommendations (17 PDF pages, in French)
-- Also available in German here
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