With No Enemies, Many See Swiss Plan to Buy $6.6 Billion in Planes as a Waste of Money

Binding referendum would decide if govt allowed to spend on new planes

With their current warplanes scheduled to be out of service by 2030, Swiss voters will face a referendum next week on the issue of whether to spend $6.6 billion buying a new Air Force, or just not have an Air Force in the future.

There is substantial support for not having the planes at all, with MPs noting that Switzerland has no enemies, calling it “absurd” to drop $6.6 billion to replace planes they don’t need and will never use in a war that’s never coming.

A small Swiss Air Force has existed for a century, but never been used for anything since they’ve not been in any wars in that time. Proponents of just not having one note that Ireland, Malta, and Luxembourg don’t have jets, so its plausible to not have them.

“Who is our enemy? Who is attacking a small, neutral country — surrounded by NATO?” asked Priska Seiler Graf, a member of parliament for the left-leaning Social Democrats. “It’s really absurd.” The Social Democrats are mockingly calling the whole project a collection of “expensive toys.”

Lawmaker Thomas Hurter from the self-described right-wing populist Swiss People’s Party, a former air force pilot, said Switzerland had to protect itself without relying on other countries. “If we don’t replace these old aircraft, that means we have no air force, there is no protection any more and we are not fulfilling our constitution,” he said.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.