In an interview with the Neue Zürcher Zeitung newspaper, Süssli said he shared concerns of a parliamentary committee over seven delayed orders, which include military drones from Israel.
“These projects all have the purpose of strengthening the army’s defence capability,” said Süssli.
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The federal audit office has criticised the Swiss government for poor planning of the procurement of six drones from an Israeli supplier.
This strengthening is important because the army’s equipment is currently “insufficient to credibly demonstrate that we are prepared to defend Switzerland’s sovereignty”.
Despite problems with seven orders, most of the 200 or so projects are going well, he said. The reasons for the problems are manifold: the – sometimes underestimated – complexity of the projects, the high requirements and delivery bottlenecks.
How long it will take to set up war logistics, for example, is still unclear. The new airspace surveillance system must be in place by 2029 at the latest. Until then, the risk is acceptable.
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Swiss defence minister denies ‘chaotic’ handover
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Outgoing Swiss defence minister Viola Amherd denies her succession plan is chaotic.
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