Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Netanyahu: If Lebanese Army takes steps to disarm Hezbollah, Israel will engage in reciprocal measures, including phased reduction of Israeli military presence in Lebanon
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Photojournalist Houssam Al-Masri martyred, reporters Hatem Omar, Mohammad Ashraf Salameh injured in Israeli strike on Nasser Medical Complex.
Israeli media: Intense US efforts are being made to resolve differences, such as the issue of the Israeli presence on Mount Hermon and in southern Syria
Israeli media: The security agreement means amending the disengagement agreement, which will also address the Druze issue
Israeli media: Attempts to reach a security agreement between 'Israel' and Syria were among the topics discussed at the Paris meeting
Israeli media: Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif rejected a US proposal to join the recent tripartite meeting between Tom Barrack, al-Shaibani, and Dermer
Saba News Agency: Two martyred, five injured in a preliminary toll of the Israeli aggression on the Yemeni Oil Company station on Al-Sitteen Street in Sanaa
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: We observed a state of confusion among the enemy's aircraft squadron after Yemeni air defenses intercepted the attack
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: The Yemeni air defense forces succeeded in neutralizing a squadron of enemy aircraft and prevented airstrikes on some governorates
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: Our air defenses and missile forces forced a formation of enemy aircraft to flee the airspace

Swiss parliament greenlights lawmakers to approve purchase of F-35

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 12 Sep 2022 22:31
3 Min Read

Switzerland’s decision to buy the F-35A fighter jets has been mired in controversy as military neutrality is the central tenet of Swiss foreign policy.

  • x
  • Swiss parliament greenlights lawmakers to approve purchase of F-35
    Swiss parliament greenlights lawmakers to approve purchase of F-35

The Swiss parliamentary committee on security policy on Monday gave the green light to the purchase of 36 US-made F-35A fighter jets for the national army despite resistance from the country's opposition.

"The committee of the National Council [the lower house of the Swiss parliament] has taken into account the report of the Control Committee of the National Council and believes that this report does not contain any elements that question the assessment procedure. Therefore, it requests the Council to agree on the purchase of 36 F-35A fighter jets by 17 votes to eight," the parliament said in a statement.

According to the committee, the Swiss authorities had no other choice but to buy this type of jet as it had shown the best results in terms of effectiveness and costs among the four types of fighter jets the government had assessed.    

The purchase of 36 F-35A fighter jets will be further discussed by the lower house of the Swiss parliament on September 15.    

In 2021, Switzerland chose the US-made F-35A fighters for the army's needs. The deal provides for the acquisition of 36 fighter jets worth over $6 billion. The Swiss government said F-35s had "the best performance" at a "low price."    

The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland and the Green Party opposed the deal by launching the Stop F-35 initiative and started collecting signatures to trigger the referendum. The initiative was signed by 120,000 people before being handed over to the government.    

Wir haben die #StopF35 Initiative nach weniger als einem Jahr erfolgreich eingereicht! Wir danken allen herzlich für ihre tatkräftige Mithilfe pic.twitter.com/DfDNJbk4uN

— Stop F-35 (@StopF35) August 16, 2022

Related News

Spain, Switzerland, India reconsider F-35 purchases amid US tariffs

Sudan’s al-Burhan meets Trump’s Africa advisor in Switzerland: Sources

In late August, the Swiss government announced the impossibility of holding a referendum on the issue before the expiry of the US sales offer on March 31, 2023. The administration asserted that delaying the replacement of the fleet's 55 ailing planes would have detrimental effects on the country's security.

Read more: Switzerland government says referendum on US fighter jets not possible

In light of growing tensions with Moscow, some EU states have already begun to ready themselvse militarily. 

On September 7, Polish Deputy Defence Minister Marcin Ociepa said that Poland is seeing serious risks of war with Russia within 3 to 10 years from now, and should profit from the remaining timespan to ready its military forces.

While NATO, in June, conducted military drills coinciding with the decision to increase troop presence in Europe to 300,000, Russia has also been conducting military drills in the baltic sea. 

Belarussian authorities likewise announced on September 8 that Belarusian armed forces have begun military drills near the Polish border.

The country started planning the maneuvers after President Alexander Lukashenko accused in July NATO of preparing for a war in Eastern Europe, citing increased activity by the military alliance.

Read more: Switzerland to represent Ukraine diplomatically in Russia

  • F-35
  • F-35 fighter jet
  • "Stop-F-35"
  • Switzerland
  • swiss government

Most Read

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, executive director of the defense division of the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, undated (Social media)

Israeli-born US prosecutor drops Israeli officer child sex crime

  • Politics
  • 19 Aug 2025
Displaced Palestinians walk through a makeshift camp along the beach in Gaza City, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)

Hamas, other factions accept Egypt-Qatar ceasefire proposal: Exclusive

  • Politics
  • 18 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025
Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Prime minister's office in al-Quds, Occupied Palestine, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Netanyahu deliberately derailing truce with Gaza occupation: Hamas

Irish President Michael Higgins arrives to deliver his speech during a 42nd World Food Day celebration at FAO headquarters in Rome, on Oct. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Politics

Irish president renews call for UN military intervention in Gaza

US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the US Embassy in Aukar, northern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, July 21, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US envoy, Netanyahu discuss restraining attacks on Lebanon, withdrawal

Smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes in multiple areas in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ansar Allah vow sustained Gaza support despite Israeli strikes

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS