Swiss Social Democrats push drone-focused defence over F-35 jets
The Swiss Social Democratic Party (SP) has proposed a new plan for airspace defence, challenging the government’s expensive F-35 fighter jet program. Their alternative proposal focuses on modern threats like drone swarms and low-cost rockets instead of traditional combat aircraft.
The SP's plan, known as the Gegenvorschlag, suggests shifting away from high-cost jets like the F-35. Party officials argue that these jets are poorly suited to current conflicts and advocate for investment in detection systems, electronic countermeasures, and point defence instead.
The SP's alternative plan aims to redirect funds towards systems better suited to modern threats. If adopted, it could reshape Switzerland's defence strategy and reduce reliance on high-cost fighter jets.
