Switzerland approved for $450 million Patriot support contract
Switzerland is one of eight European countries with Patriot missile systems. (Image: Raytheon/RTX)
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.
Related Articles
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.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
MIM-104E PAC-2 Guidance Enhanced Missile-Tactical ballistic missile (GEM-T)
More from Land Warfare
-
July land forces roundup: UK outlines spending with details unveiled on Eurosatory vehicles
Analysis of the long-awaited UK Defence Investment Plan, which was finally released on 30 June, revealed scant investment in platform replacement for the British Army. The bright spot in July, however, was a multibillion-dollar contract awarded for the British Army’s Collective Training System.
-
Italian Army advances plans for 155m wheeled artillery fleet
With a requirement for 60 systems, the Italian Army is preparing to complement its tracked artillery with a modern wheeled solution based on domestic industry.
-
UK hits pause on deployable mortar system procurement as US begins search
The US Army's market survey into available 81mm and 120mm mobile mortar systems was launched only a few days after the UK suspended Project Stokes, an almost identical plan, “pending future decisions on prioritisation, resourcing and funding”.
-
New teams form to compete for British Army Land Rover replacement
The UK’s Land Mobility Programme Light Mobility Vehicle requirement is designed to replace the British Army’s ageing fleet of Land Rovers with a vehicle with a Gross Vehicular Mass of less than 3,500kg. It could be for as many as 6,000 vehicles.