Swiss army procures from firms on investment blacklist
The Swiss army ordered six Hermes 900-type drones from an Israeli company blacklisted for investment purposes.
Keystone / Georgios Kefalas
Arms manufacturers that have been recommended for exclusion by the Swiss Association for Responsible Investments (SARI) are linked to Swiss army contracts, a newspaper reports.
This content was published on
1 minute
SDA-Keystone/ac
العربية
ar
الجيش السويسري متعاقد مع شركات أسلحة مدرجة في القائمة السوداء
One such company is the Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems. The Swiss army ordered six Hermes 900-type drones from Elbit in 2015 at a cost of CHF250 million (around $256 million at the time). According to the SARI report, Elbit was blacklisted because the group took over the Israeli arms manufacturer IMI Systems. The company produces cluster munitions, which are outlawed worldwide as the unexploded bombs can explode years after a conflict killing or maiming civilians.
The Swiss army not only purchased surveillance drones from Elbit, but also awarded the company a contract for new telecommunications equipment.
According to the Tages-Anzeiger paper, the Swiss National Bank disposed of its Elbit shares shortly after the company was included on the SARI exclusion listExternal link. The Swiss pension fund Publica has also put Elbit on its exclusion list.
Another company that is on the SARI list is the American defence giant Lockheed Martin Corporation, as it manufactures cluster munitions and anti-personnel mines. However, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jet is among four aircraft under consideration by the Swiss army to replace its ageing fleet budgeted at CHF6 billion ($6.1 billion).
The majority of blacklisted companies are of Chinese or Indian origin.
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
ECHR condemns Swiss failure to protect woman from violence
This content was published on
Switzerland did not provide a woman with sufficient protection against her partner who had been violent in the past, rules the ECHR.
This content was published on
In Switzerland, 2.2 million people are affected by non-communicable diseases, partly because people are not eating a balanced diet.
Free trade remains ‘core’ Swiss value despite Trump tariffs
This content was published on
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter says Switzerland remains committed to free trade despite a new 31% tariff on Swiss exports to the United States.
This content was published on
Both chambers of parliament have now accepted plans proposed by the government to buy up to 30 new fighter jets, a step it says is vital for the stability and security of the country. As the current fleet of fighters used by the army are nearing the end of their use period, the government says,…
Swiss voters hold the keys to new fighter jet fleet
This content was published on
The Swiss air force’s credit package for the purchase of new fighter jets has been challenged to a referendum by pacifists and left-wing parties.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.