Switzerland says F-35A delivery on track for 2027 despite cost, delay concerns 

Delivery of the F-35A fighter jets to Switzerland remains scheduled to begin in mid-2027, Switzerland’s defense procurement agency Armasuisse confirmed on September 6, 2025. 

The first aircraft will come from Lockheed Martin’s factory in Fort Worth, Texas, before a second production line in Cameri, Italy, starts deliveries in mid-2028. Switzerland’s fleet is due to arrive in the latest “Block 4” configuration, an Armasuisse spokesperson told Swiss agency Keystone-ATS. 

Block 4 delays and TR-3 troubles 

The reassurance comes despite mounting concerns over the troubled Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) upgrade, a $1.9 billion hardware and software modernization running three years behind schedule. The TR-3 package underpins Block 4 capabilities, which include advanced sensors, new weapons integration, and enhanced electronic warfare systems. 

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F-35 program plagued by delays, GAO warns of modernization and production risks

According to the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), TR-3 delays forced the Pentagon to accept 174 provisionally delivered F-35s in a non-combat-capable configuration. All 110 jets delivered in 2024 arrived late, with an average delay of 238 days, compared with 61 days in 2023, according to a report published on September 3, 2025. 

Swiss jets to arrive combat-ready 

GAO further warned that Block 4 is at least five years late, $6 billion over budget, and will initially feature fewer capabilities than planned. Some functions are expected to be added through later software updates. 

Armasuisse maintains that Swiss aircraft will arrive in an operational configuration and that the current F135 engine will not require replacement. Engine core upgrades and cooling system improvements, grouped under the Power and Thermal Management Upgrade (PTMU), are expected only from the mid-2030s. 

Political opposition, however, has intensified since US President Donald Trump imposed a 39% tariff on Swiss imports on August 1, 2025. Left-wing lawmakers warn the measure could add up to $1.3 billion in extra costs, while government supporters argue that canceling the order would harm Swiss-US trade relations and further delay the long-overdue modernization of the Swiss Air Force, which still relies on aging F/A-18 Hornets as its frontline fighter. 

In early August 2025, Swiss National Armaments Director Urs Loher visited Lockheed Martin’s facilities in Fort Worth for technical discussions on offset obligations and project monitoring. Armasuisse said the trip was part of routine consultations to follow program progress and clarify industrial cooperation under the F-35 deal. 

The first Swiss pilots and maintainers are expected to begin training in the United States ahead of the 2027 handover. The post Switzerland says F-35A delivery on track for 2027 despite cost, delay concerns  appeared first on AeroTime.

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