What exactly did the F-35 Negotiations Supervisory Commission discover?

The Supervisory Commission found that the Federal Department of Defence and the Federal Council should not have assumed that a flat fixed price for F-35A fighters had been agreed. The price was not only inapplicable, but had never been the subject of a contractual agreement with the United States, despite a note to the contrary. The Commission also criticises the absence of a clearly defined negotiating mandate, the inadequate flow of information and the lack of the principle of double-checking.

How many F-35As will Switzerland eventually have?

Switzerland will have around 30 F-35A fighters, down from 36 originally approved by the 2020 popular vote. The reduction was decided by the Federal Council in the face of the emergence of additional costs estimated between 650 million and 1.3 billion francs.

How much will the additional credit cost?

The additional appropriation amounts to CHF 394 million, allocated to cover part of the additional costs. This amount is inaddition to the CHF 6 billion originally approved in 2020. The total additional costs were estimated at between CHF 650 million and CHF 1.3 billion.

Why did Viola Amherd and Darko Savic leave their positions?

Viola Amherd (former Minister of Defence) and Darko Savic (former head of the Air2030 project) left their respective posts in the spring of 2025, before the extent of the higher costs and the management error on the fixed price premise became clear. The Commission's report examines their role in managing the negotiations.

How was it possible that the Federal Council believed in a fixed price that did not exist?

According to the Supervisory Commission's 95-page report, the Federal Department of Defense did not have a clearly defined negotiating mandate prior to the start of talks with the United States. The negotiations were followed by too small a circle of people, and at some stages the principle of double control was lacking. Moreover, the flow of information was inadequate, thus allowing an incorrect thesis to consolidate and be firmly defended before Parliament.

F-35, Bern and USA: no fixed price agreed (cross-border guide)

Di Redazione Frontaliere Ticino · Published on 9 September 2026

Swiss Federal Parliament in Bern, symbol of administrative oversight on defense projects

Report of the Supervisory Commission denies Amherd: there was no agreement on a fixed price with the US. Additional credit of CHF 394 million and reduction to 30 fighters.

Context

In brief

Oversight Commission of the National Council: no fixed price agreed with the USA for the F-35A
Switzerland will have 30 fighter jets instead of 36; additional credit of 394 million CHF
Report criticizes lack of negotiating mandate and double-check principle
Amherd and Savic left their positions in spring 2025

Key facts

What: Report by the National Council Management Commission refutes Amherd's thesis on fixed price for F-35A
When: Tuesday (date from Commission statement)
Where: Swiss Confederation, negotiations with the United States
Who: Management Commission of the National Council, Viola Amherd (former Defense Minister), Darko Savic (former Air2030 project manager)
Amount: Additional credit of 394 million CHF; additional costs estimated between 650 million and 1.3 billion CHF
Fighter jet reduction: From 36 to approximately 30 F-35A

The Management Commission of the National Council published on Tuesday a 95-page report that categorically refutes Viola Amherd's thesis: no fixed price had ever been agreed with the United States for the purchase of F-35A fighter jets. This is not merely an administrative dispute, but a matter involving the management of billions of francs in public funds and the credibility of federal institutions.

According to the Commission's statement, the Federal Defense Department and the Federal Council 'should not have assumed that a flat fixed price had been agreed upon'. The price, moreover, is not only inapplicable, but was never the subject of a contractual agreement, despite a note suggesting otherwise. The Commission cannot even 'understand the reason why the Defense Department defended this price with such firmness before Parliament'.

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Operational details

The timeline of a managerial error

The F-35 fighter jet case is an emblematic example of how a federal decision, initially supported by the people, can be managed defectively. In 2020, the Swiss approved an allocation of 6 billion francs based on the premise that the price was fixed and locked. This premise proved false. Five years later, hidden costs in the billions emerge, and the number of fighter jets drops from 36 to approximately 30 units.

The Supervisory Commission remains surprised by the fact that the Federal Department of Defense was able to maintain and spread, before Parliament itself, an incorrect thesis with such firmness. How was this possible? The answers lie in the management of negotiations: lack of a clearly defined negotiating mandate, fragmented communications, absence of the most basic cross-check (double control), and too narrow a circle of people involved in the decisions.

The role of the Commission and personal responsibilities

This report represents the result of the work of the National Council's oversight. The Management Commission exercises a fundamental role: to supervise the work of the Federal Administration, to verify that the promises made to citizen-voters are kept, and to ensure the correct use of public funds. In the case of the F-35, the Commission had to dig deep to discover how the Confederation could have based a popular vote on a contractual premise that did not exist.

The additional credit of 394 million francs that is now needed to cover part of the supplementary costs comes from federal coffers. The 650-1,300 million francs of extra costs represent public resources that will not be able to be allocated to other budget chapters: health, research, infrastructure, or transport.

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Key points

What This Decision Means for Switzerland

The acquisition of 30 F-35A instead of 36 modifies Switzerland's defensive capacity for decades to come. This is not a decision to be taken lightly, and the fact that it emerged from a critical report by the Oversight Commission suggests that the path to this reduction was anything but straightforward. The message that emerges is twofold: on one hand, the Federal Council had to downsize a failing project; on the other, the additional cost of 394 million francs still represents a draw from the federal budget. The voting citizens had subscribed to 6 billion francs for 36 fighter jets based on a premise that proved to be incorrect.

Parliamentary Oversight as a Safeguard

The investigation by the Oversight Commission demonstrates how the Swiss Parliament, through its control bodies, is able to dig into the errors of the Federal Administration and force a correction. However, the fact that the report was necessary also indicates that internal verification systems — such as the principle of dual control recalled in the report — did not function during the negotiations. Parliamentary oversight represents an essential safeguard against errors in the management of large-scale projects with significant costs.

The Management Commission of the National Council will continue to follow the project's development. The new number of F-35A (approximately 30) and the additional credit of 394 million will have to go through ordinary parliamentary procedures, thus guaranteeing a further level of democratic control.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly did the F-35 Negotiations Supervisory Commission discover?: The Supervisory Commission found that the Federal Department of Defence and the Federal Council should not have assumed that a flat fixed price for F-35A fighters had been agreed. The price was not only inapplicable, but had never been the subject of a contractual agreement with the United States, despite a note to the contrary. The Commission also criticises the absence of a clearly defined negotiating mandate, the inadequate flow of information and the lack of the principle of double-checking.
How many F-35As will Switzerland eventually have?: Switzerland will have around 30 F-35A fighters, down from 36 originally approved by the 2020 popular vote. The reduction was decided by the Federal Council in the face of the emergence of additional costs estimated between 650 million and 1.3 billion francs.
How much will the additional credit cost?: The additional appropriation amounts to CHF 394 million, allocated to cover part of the additional costs. This amount is inaddition to the CHF 6 billion originally approved in 2020. The total additional costs were estimated at between CHF 650 million and CHF 1.3 billion.
Why did Viola Amherd and Darko Savic leave their positions?: Viola Amherd (former Minister of Defence) and Darko Savic (former head of the Air2030 project) left their respective posts in the spring of 2025, before the extent of the higher costs and the management error on the fixed price premise became clear. The Commission's report examines their role in managing the negotiations.
How was it possible that the Federal Council believed in a fixed price that did not exist?: According to the Supervisory Commission's 95-page report, the Federal Department of Defense did not have a clearly defined negotiating mandate prior to the start of talks with the United States. The negotiations were followed by too small a circle of people, and at some stages the principle of double control was lacking. Moreover, the flow of information was inadequate, thus allowing an incorrect thesis to consolidate and be firmly defended before Parliament.