Bern and Berlin swap delivery date for weapons system for Ukraine
Published: Wednesday, Oct 9th 2024, 12:30
Zurück zu Live Feed
Switzerland will receive a delivery of ordered anti-tank guided missiles one year later than planned and therefore not until 2026. The DDPS has agreed to cede its earlier delivery date to Germany, which has also ordered systems of this type. Berlin wants to pass the weapons systems on to Ukraine.
The Department of Defense (`DDDPS) thus complied with a request from Germany. On Wednesday, the Federal Council was informed about the date swap for the last tranche of the delivery of the shoulder-launched anti-tank guided missile (RGW90), as was stated in a press release. This is compatible with neutrality.
The purchase of the RGW90 systems from the German manufacturer Dynamit Nobel Defence GmbH was decided in the 2016 armaments program. The systems are to be delivered to Switzerland from 2024 and 2025. The last tranche will not reach Switzerland until 2026 instead of 2025.
This exchange is compatible with the obligations of neutrality, it said. This is because the weapons systems were never located in Switzerland. The export provisions of the War Material Act are therefore not applicable. The DDPS can decide on the delivery dates.
This is not the first time that the DDPS has given way to a European country in favor of arms deliveries to Ukraine. In 2022, it ceded a delivery date for shoulder-launched NLAW multi-purpose weapons to the UK.
According to the press release, such date swaps are an opportunity for Switzerland to provide selective support to important partners, while maintaining neutrality and without affecting the introduction of weapons systems. Switzerland wants to strengthen international security cooperation.
©Keystone/SDA
German 
English 
French 
Spanish 
Arabic