Tranche 4 Aircraft Would Enhance Interoperability with Luftwaffe
Airbus and the German government submitted their official offer for the sale of Eurofighter aircraft to Switzerland on 18 November. Prepared in cooperation with the other Eurofighter nations and industrial partners Leonardo and BAE Systems, the offer directly addresses the new combat aircraft (Neues Kampfflugzeug – NKF) procurement programme, aimed at replacing the current F-5 and F/A-18 fleet with a more modern aircraft.
With over 660 aircraft ordered, the Eurofighter is by far the most widely-used combat aircraft acting in the air superiority role in Europe. In offering it to Switzerland, Germany seeks to strengthen the existing military partnership between the nations, particularly with regard to joint training of the two air forces. Only a few days ago, Germany signed its own contract for 38 Eurofighters from the latest Tranche 4, and is offering Switzerland the opportunity to lay the foundations for even closer political, economic and security cooperation by procuring the same configuration.
“With this offer, we are inviting Switzerland as our neighbour and reliable partner in security policy and economic matters to protect its airspace with the Eurofighter and to close cooperation between our air forces. For Germany, Switzerland is not just a customer, but a strategic ally with whom we would like to further intensify our already close cooperation. The Eurofighter is the only platform jointly developed and operated by several European nations and would therefore be an ideal solution for Switzerland,” explained German Ambassador to Switzerland, Michael Flügger.
“With the offer submitted today, we want to show that the Eurofighter is the best overall package for Switzerland. It is the most modern fighter aircraft currently built in Europe and meets all the requirements demanded by Switzerland. By providing construction data and other important information, Switzerland will be given complete and independent control of the Eurofighter, guaranteeing full transparency. With over 200 suppliers in the Confederation, Airbus is already a strong partner for Switzerland, and we look forward to expanding this cooperation even further,” added Airbus Defence & Space CEO, Dirk Hoke.
