Swiss mulls dropping Patriot purchase

The Swiss government is considering dropping the agreed purchase of the Patriot air-defence system from the United States amid severe delivery delays, Defence Minister Martin Pfister said on Wednesday.

"Cancellation is always an option in the event of a delay," he told the ATS-Keystone news agency.

Earlier on Wednesday, the defence ministry announced it would continue suspending payments for the system "until the United States has firmly announced new delivery dates and payment deadlines".

Switzerland, which is not in Nato, had ordered five Patriot systems in 2022, with delivery scheduled to begin this year and to be completed in 2028.

But last July, the government said it had been informed by the US defence department that the deliveries to Switzerland would be delayed as Washington strived to provide more support for Ukraine.