Social Democrats seek inquiry into Switzerland’s F-35 purchase

Switzerland’s planned purchase of 36 F-35A jets now faces a formal parliamentary challenge. The Social Democratic Party said it will table a motion seeking a parliamentary commission of inquiry into the procurement from the United States. The move follows a report that disputes the Swiss defence ministry’s repeated assertion that the aircraft would be delivered under a flat-rate fixed price of CHF 6 billion.

The proposed commission of inquiry, known in Switzerland as a CPI, would examine how the procurement was handled, how officials calculated the purchase and operating costs, and whether the defence ministry accurately described Switzerland’s dependence on the US supplier. The party also wants parliament to determine whether individual officials failed in their duties or whether the problems point to wider institutional weaknesses.

Senator Franziska Roth, a Social Democratic specialist in security policy, is pursuing the initiative. The party said other groups should support the motion if they want to restore confidence in the deal. The Greens are expected to back the proposal. However, the centre right holds a parliamentary majority, making approval uncertain.

The dispute centres on a price promise that parliament now says was never secured in the form presented to the public. The defence ministry has repeatedly stated that Switzerland would receive its 36 F-35A aircraft for a fixed CHF 6 billion. A recent parliamentary report found that the United States had not agreed to a flat-rate fixed price.

That finding has changed the political meaning of the procurement. The issue is not limited to whether the final bill could rise. The Social Democrats want investigators to establish what Swiss officials knew, when they knew it and how the price was communicated during the approval process. The party also wants the CPI to examine whether operating expenses were calculated in a way that favoured the F-35 over competing aircraft.

The parliamentary oversight body previously linked the failure to adhere to the fixed price to administrative failings. Former Social Democratic parliamentarian Pierre-Alain Fridez went further, saying he believed officials had deliberately made false statements to win approval. That allegation remains a political claim, and an inquiry would be needed to test it against documents, testimony and procurement records.

The proposed CPI would examine the full procurement process, not only the contract language. The Social Democratic Party wants parliament to determine whether competing bidders were treated unfairly during the selection of the F-35. It also wants investigators to assess whether officials deliberately understated the aircraft’s purchase and operating costs.

Those questions reach into the evaluation process that led Switzerland to choose the American-made fighter. The party has asked whether the defence ministry gave parliament accurate information about the country’s dependence on the supplier. F-35 operations rely on a wider US-led system of maintenance, software, data and technical support, making supplier relationships a significant issue for Swiss defence planning. The source material does not establish that officials misled parliament on this point. It identifies the question as one the inquiry should clarify.

A CPI would have powers and procedures distinct from an ordinary political debate. Its work could draw on departmental records, procurement assessments and testimony from officials involved in the decision. The result could clarify whether the controversy arose from administrative mistakes, political presentation of uncertain figures, or conduct requiring individual accountability.