National Council committee wants a future for F-5 Tiger fighter jets
Published: Tuesday, Apr 9th 2024, 18:00
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The responsible National Council committee wants to ensure the continued operation of the F-5 Tiger fighter jets. It is requesting a report from the Federal Council on the possible continued use of these aircraft.
The National Council's Security Policy Committee (SIK-N) approved a corresponding postulate by 11 votes to 9 with 3 abstentions, as reported by the parliamentary services on Tuesday. The National Council will decide on the matter.
In 2022, Parliament decided - against the wishes of the Federal Council - to postpone the decommissioning of the 25 F-5 Tiger fighter jets. Around half of the F-5 Tigers are used by the Patrouille Suisse aerobatic team for flight demonstrations.
However, the Department of Defense (DDPS) recently declared its intention to cease F-5 operations by the end of 2027. According to the statement, the army is consistently focusing its money on new systems due to the current financial situation.
With its postulate, the SIK-N is now calling for a report on the possible continued use of these aircraft. The Federal Council is to present various options for the continued use of the aircraft and the added value in the context of international military cooperation.
According to the communication, the majority of the Commission is of the opinion that the Federal Council must respect the decision of Parliament not to decommission the F-5. The committee minority, on the other hand, is concerned about the additional costs of continuing to use the fighter aircraft.
The Swiss Armed Forces still have 25 F-5 Tigers in their inventory, 18 of which are currently in service. According to Armasuisse, they relieve the F/A-18 Hornet fleet and are used for target presentation, training purposes, as a towing aircraft and for test flights.
A large number of the F-5 Tigers procured in the 1970s and 1980s have already been sold. The Tiger fighter planes with a speed of 1700 kilometers per hour, a length of almost 15 meters and a wingspan of a good eight meters have been in service in Switzerland since 1978.
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