(Source: Swiss National Council; issued Nov. 26, 2019)
The committee rejected by 23 votes to 2 the Greens’ proposal not to enter. "It is absolutely necessary to renew the army’s fleet," Werner Salzmann (SVP / BE), its president, told the press on Tuesday. “The security of the population is a top priority.”
The government expects that the foreign companies that obtain purchase mandates must offset 60% of the value of the contract in Switzerland, of which 20% directly and 40% indirectly within the technological and industrial base in connection with the acquisition. "Swiss companies cannot absorb more contracts," said Salzmann.
The committee therefore rejected all the other proposals. Several minorities demanded compensation of 20%, 50% or 80%, as proposed by the National Finance Committee.
The left would like to give up compensatory cases altogether. They increase prices, are similar to non-transparent subsidies and carry risks of corruption, the Greens said Tuesday. The Council of States had meanwhile voted for a total compensation.
The National Security Policy Committee, however, endorsed the decision of the Council of States regarding the distribution of these compensations. A large majority of the commission requests that 65% of these return to German-speaking Switzerland, 30% to French-speaking Switzerland and 5% to Italian-speaking Switzerland.
Light fighter planes
By 19 votes to 6, the committee refused to refer the project to the Federal Council. A minority on the left is asking the government for a new plan for the entire defense program (combat aircraft and ground-to-air defense) whose financial envelope should not exceed 4 billion francs. But for the majority of the commission, the 6 billion francs proposed by the government is appropriate.
The minority is also asking the government to purchase a light combat aircraft model by 2025, and extend the life of the F / A-18 Hornet, which would be reserved for more complex missions. The left wants the movements of these planes to be limited to 7,000 per year.
In addition, it calls on the government to take appropriate protective measures to deal with new threats posed by long-range missiles, cruise missiles or hijacked civil aircraft. It is keen to develop cooperation with the air forces of neighboring countries and international cooperation in the field of early detection and early warning.
No vote on the model
The debate in the National Council is scheduled for 9 December. If both Federal Chambers adopt the project as proposed by the committee, the Socialist Party and the Greens will launch the referendum. In the event of a vote, the Swiss will not vote on the model of aircraft or their number but only on the principle of purchase.
The Federal Council will decide on the type of jet after the popular vote, which should take place in September or November 2020. The National Commission welcomes this decision, as the selection of the winner is up to the experts and not to voters
The purchase of a long-range ground-to-air defense system will be done as part of regular armament programs. The order specifies, however, that the acquisition of the jets will be coordinated, from a technical and calendar point of view, with the ground-to-air defense.
The current fighter jets will reach the end of their useful life by 2030 at the latest. Four jets were evaluated between April and June in Payerne (VD) to replace the 26 Tiger and the 30 F / A-18 of the 'army. The French Rafale (Dassault), the European Eurofighter (Airbus) and the two American planes: the successor of the FA-18, the Boeing Super Hornet, and the F-35A Lockheed-Martin.
Sweden's Saab has withdrawn the Gripen E from the evaluation.
-ends-
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