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Switzerland approved for $450 million Patriot support contract

29th October 2024 - 13:15 GMT | by Shephard News Team in London

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Switzerland is one of eight European countries with Patriot missile systems. (Image: Raytheon/RTX)

There has been strong demand for Patriot air defence and missile systems since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with units going towards the country’s defensive efforts and systems to existing and new European customers.

Switzerland has been approved by the US State Department for services to support and sustain its five Patriot air and missile defence systems’ fire units and missile inventory. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified US Congress.

The sale is for US$450 million and includes general electronic test station equipment and programme sets, international engineering services and modification and upgrade kits.

It also includes unclassified and classified spares, transportation and other related elements of logistics and programme support.

More Patriot air and missile defence systems bound for Europe

How Spain’s acquisition of PAC-3 MSE can boost European air defence

NATO partners send Patriot GEM-T missiles to Germany

The DSCA noted that prime contractors would be RTX Corporation in Tewksbury, Massachusetts; Lockheed Martin in Dallas, Texas; and Leidos in Huntsville, Alabama, with any offset agreements defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor.

The likely FMS Patriot support contract reflects strong demand for the system in the past two years.

In July, Raytheon announced it would supply additional Patriot systems to Germany under a $1.2 billion deal, the second order by the country this year following an order of the same size in March.

The systems will augment Germany’s existing air defence infrastructure with additional Patriot major end items. The order includes the most current Patriot Configuration 3+ radars, launchers, command and control stations, associated spares and support.

Also in July, Spain announced an agreement for the acquisition of Patriot missiles and related support equipment as part of the country’s effort to improve its air and missile defence inventory. The purchase made Spain the eighth European country to order the system.

In January, it was announced that up to 1,000 Patriot Guidance Enhanced Missiles (GEM-T) surface-to-air missiles will be provided to NATO nations under a deal signed between NATO Support and Procurement Agency and COMLOG, a joint venture between Raytheon and MBDA.

Patriot Air Defence System

MIM-104E PAC-2 Guidance Enhanced Missile-Tactical ballistic missile (GEM-T)