Possible FMS to Switzerland of F-35A Lightning II or F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
The US State Department approved the possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to the Government of Switzerland of forty F-35A Lightning IIs and related equipment for an estimated cost of USD 6,58 billion on 30 September 2020. On the same date, the US State Department also approved the possible FMS to the Government of Switzerland of forty F/A-18E/F Super Hornets with related equipment for an estimated cost of USD 7,452 billion.
As Scramble Magazine reported before *), the Swiss government is allowed by their citizens to buy new jet fighters. The approval of the possible sale of Super Hornets or Lightnings by the US only gives green light from a US point of view. The Swiss decision which fighter to buy still has to be made.
The proposed sale will replace Switzerland's retiring F/A-18s and F-5 Tigers and enhance its air-to-air and air-to-ground self-defence capability. The primary missions of the aircraft and associated weapons will be policing the airspace above Switzerland and providing national defense capabilities.
The interesting part is... ostensibly, the forty F-35As will cost the Swiss USD 870 million less, compared to the same number of F/A-18E/Fs. When analyzing the propositions that were published on DSCA (Defence Security Coopearation Agency), the proposition of Boeing looks more extensive with the main difference between Lockheed Martin and Boeing being the number of engines, including spares.
Lockheed Martin delivers 46 Pratt & Whitney F-135 engines while Boeing delivers 96 General Electric F414-GE-400 engines. As known, this hardware is the most expensive part of the aircraft. Further details in the proposals of both manufacturers do not differ that much, weapons (including AIM-9X Block IIs, small diameter bombs and Joint Direct Attack Munitions), training, test and guidance units are more or less the same. Boeing mentioned more extensive its Electronic warfare Systems and Targeting Pods (25), Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems and Infrared Search and Track systems, but these are already included in the F-35 system itself.
*) New Swiss fighter aircraft: Swiss referendum votes YES to buy new fighter jets
Photos: Ronald Oost and Reinold via Scramble Magazine