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Reuters
25-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Switzerland seeks talks with US as cost of F-35A fighter jets rises
ZURICH, June 25 (Reuters) - Switzerland is seeking talks with the United States, the government said on Wednesday, after Washington tried to raise the price for new fighter jets the neutral country is buying to upgrade its air defences. Bern chose Lockheed Martin's (LMT.N), opens new tab F-35A Lightning II as its next-generation fighter plane in 2021, with a fixed price of around 6 billion Swiss francs ($7.44 billion) for 36 jets, a decision that attracted controversy in Switzerland. But the U.S. Joint Program Office overseeing the project said last year that the price could be higher, while the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency told Switzerland in February that the fixed price was a misunderstanding. Switzerland was informed that the price for the 36 F-35s would be dearer because of higher raw materials and energy costs, as well as higher inflation in the United States, the Swiss government said. It gave no concrete figures for the increased price now being sought, although Swiss broadcaster SRF said the United States could now charge up to 1.5 billion Swiss francs more, citing government sources. The Swiss government said the fixed price remained valid. As the agreement prevents a legal settlement of the dispute, "a diplomatic solution must be sought," it added. The decision to buy the F-35A was contested in Switzerland, with opponents arguing against replacing the country's aging F/A 18 jets with an unnecessary "Ferrari" option. Opponents said Switzerland did not need cutting-edge warplanes to defend its Alpine territory, which a supersonic jet can cross in 10 minutes. The F-35A beat bids from Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet, the Rafale produced by France's Dassault and the four-nation Eurofighter built by Italy's Leonardo, Britain's BAE Systems and Airbus representing Germany and Spain. Still, Switzerland said it remained committed to buying the F-35A, and that cancelling the contract would have "considerable consequences." "For example, Switzerland would no longer be able to guarantee the safety of its airspace and population from 2032, as the current F/A-18 fighter aircraft would reach the end of their service life," the government said. ($1 = 0.8067 Swiss francs)
Forbes
10-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Kuwait Upgrading M1A2 Abrams Tanks Long At Forefront Of Its Defense
Kuwait's Defense Minister Abdullah Ali Abdullah es-Salim es-Sabah attend the Kuwait and French ... More Army's joint military exercise called ''Pearl of the West 2022'' in Udayri Region of Kuwait on December 08, 2022. (Photo by Jaber Abdulkhaleg/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) Kuwait has recently requested an estimated $325 million in sustainment support for its fleet of M1A2 Abrams tanks, which have formed the backbone of its ground forces for over three decades. The sustainment support is part of Kuwaiti efforts to upgrade these tanks, indicating they will serve at the forefront of the state's defenses for years to come. 'The Government of Kuwait has requested to buy equipment and services related to sustainment support for legacy M1A2 and new M1A2K Abrams main battle tank systems,' the State Department's Defense Security Cooperation Agency revealed in a June 4 press release. While the DSCA release did not specify numbers, it confirms that Kuwait will keep some of the 218 M1A2 tanks it acquired in the 1990s in service with the new, tailor-made M1A2K variant it ordered in 2017 and began receiving in 2021. Kuwait first ordered 218 M1A1 tank hulls along with 120mm cannons in 2017 from the U.S. inventory as part of the recapitalization of its M1A2 fleet. It ordered the additional hulls to maintain operational readiness of its M1A2s. The latest DSCA press release indicates that Kuwait will have a mix of M1A2s and M1A2Ks in service for the time being. General Dynamic Land Systems was given the contract to develop and deliver 217 M1A2Ks, with Kuwait receiving the first M1A2K in a ceremony in July 2021. Modifications include the addition of a Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station, a new armor package, and an Auxiliary Cooling and Power System, which are essential for crews operating the tank in unrelenting desert conditions. Kuwait received its first M1A2 tank 31 years ago as part of a multi-billion-dollar buildup in the aftermath of the 1991 Persian Gulf War, fought to reconstitute Kuwait after Saddam Hussein's Iraq infamously annexed it in August 1990. While the U.S.-led coalition forced the Iraqi military out of Kuwait and inflicted a devastating blow against it, Kuwait emerged from that war with its military arsenal largely destroyed. Unsurprisingly, it did not want to endure a repeat of that humiliating episode ever again, which it could never entirely rule out in the post-Gulf War years. After all, Saddam Hussein remained in power. He even seemed poised to attempt another invasion in October 1994 when he ordered two divisions of his Republican Guards to move toward the Kuwaiti border. The U.S. deterred any such attempt through a rapid military redeployment to the region codenamed Operation Vigilant Warrior. The M1A1 proved itself in desert battles against Iraq's best armor, especially the Soviet-built T-72. Still, the U.S. wasn't the only country that had high hopes that its efforts to liberate Kuwait could win it some lucrative arms contracts, including for main battle tanks. Even before Kuwait's liberation, the British government saw an 'unparalleled opportunity' to sell weapons to the Arab Gulf states, fearful that they could face an Iraqi attack next. Prime Minister Tony Blair later lobbied Kuwait in 1998 and 1999 to buy British artillery. His government believed that Britain was 'due the award of a significant defense equipment contract in recognition of its defense of Kuwait' earlier that decade. Britain had hoped that Kuwait would rebuild its armored forces with the British Challenger 2 as its new MBT. After all, London had delivered 165 Chieftain Mk-5 MBTs to the small Gulf country in the late 1970s. Kuwait mustered some of these British tanks in an ill-fated attempt to resist Iraq's August 2, 1990, invasion, notably during the Battle of the Bridges, but they ultimately could not hold off the sudden Iraqi juggernaut. After conducting desert tests of both the Abrams and Challenger 2, Kuwait ultimately chose the latter in 1992. The U.S. denied political pressure motivated Kuwait's choosing of the American tank. There were doubtlessly logistical and technical considerations behind Kuwait's ultimate choice. One advantage of the M1A2 over the Challenger 2 for Kuwait was its greater interoperability with the U.S. military and neighboring countries, such as Saudi Arabia, which also chose the Abrams. Unlike the M1A2's smoothbore gun, the Challenger 2 uses a rifled barrel, which would have made it more challenging for Kuwait to efficiently share ammunition with U.S. or Saudi Abrams tanks, essential for joint operations or even training. Tanks from the Kuwaiti Land Force fire as they take part in a military exercise at the Udaira ... More military range, some 140km north of Kuwait City, on November 18, 2021, as part of the 'Gulf Shooting 2021' exercise with the participation of the Royal Saudi Land Forces, and the US Army's Spartan Force. (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP) (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT/AFP via Getty Images) (Britain would ultimately secure a sale of Challenger 2 tanks to Oman in 1993, the only other country to operate the British MBT until the UK transferred some to Ukraine following Russia's 2022 invasion.) More generally, Kuwait welcomed the acquisition of a more advanced version of the M1A1 that effectively destroyed Iraqi armor. Kuwait wasted no time in ordering the tanks and training personnel to maintain and operate them. Twenty-four Kuwaiti soldiers participated in a rigorous training program in Fort Knox, Kentucky, in 1996. It was not-so-subtly named the 'Al-Qurain Project,' in honor of 19 Kuwaiti resistance fighters who fought the Iraqi Army in a ten-hour firefight on February 24, 1991, despite being hopelessly outgunned and outnumbered. The project's name aptly underscored what the Kuwaitis felt was at stake if they did not prepare themselves for the unthinkable: a second invasion. 'U.S. Army Maj. Guy Gasser, the project's manager at Fort Knox, said the Kuwaitis are learning in 13 months what U.S. soldiers would know after five to seven years of experience,' the Courier-Journal reported in April 1996. Kuwait urgently wanted the men back to train more tankers and establish a credible, sufficient self-defensive capacity. 'We have tried to buy the best weapons in the world and get the best people to train us,' Kuwait's defense minister told reporters in September 1996. Of course, Iraq never invaded Kuwait again. In a turning of the tables, the sheikdom helped facilitate the invasion of Iraq in 2003 by allowing the U.S. military to use its territory as a staging ground. However, its forces did not participate in the invasion, and no Kuwaiti M1A2s ever rolled over the northern border. The 2003 invasion swiftly toppled Saddam Hussein's regime, eliminating any potentially existential threat from Kuwait's north. By 2022, Iraq finally finished paying off $52.4 billion in reparations to its southern neighbor for the 1990 invasion and looting of the country. While it remained committed to the Abrams, Kuwait did shop elsewhere for weapons as it scrambled to rebuild and reequip its military in the 1990s. Although Kuwait never purchased British MBTs again, it did award Britain a contract in 1993 for 254 Desert Warrior infantry fighting vehicles—a modified version of the British FV510 Warrior. Much more recently, Russia hoped Kuwait would replace its fleet of Yugoslav M-84 tanks, a license-built derivative of the T-72, with Russia's newer T-90MS. However, Kuwait 'indefinitely postponed' that deal in 2019 and is unlikely to revive it. As with Britain, Kuwait bought IFVs from Russia during its 1990s buildup, including 142 BMP-3s. Given Kuwait's preference for diversifying its military arsenal—for instance, its air force operates the U.S. F/A-18 Super Hornet and the Eurofighter Typhoon—its continued operation of the Abrams as its sole MBT isn't insignificant and will likely remain the case for years to come.
Morocco World
02-06-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
Morocco's $260 Million Javelin Missile Purchase Gets US Approval
Doha – Morocco is set to purchase 612 Javelin missiles and 200 launch units from the United States in a deal worth approximately $260 million, according to an official notice published in the US Federal Register on May 30. The sale, which still requires final approval from the US Congress, has already received the green light from the US State Department. The country's Defense Security Cooperation Agency initially announced the proposed sale on March 19, 2024, in a letter to the Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson. The official document details that the Moroccan government has requested to buy 'six hundred twelve (612) Javelin FGM–148F missiles (includes twelve (12) fly-to-buy missiles) and two hundred (200) Javelin Lightweight Command Launch Units (LWCLUs).' According to the policy justification section of the Federal Register notice, 'this proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a Major Non-NATO Ally that continues to be an important force for political stability and economic progress in North Africa.' The Javelin is a powerful anti-tank missile system, and this deal is expected to boost Morocco's long-term defense capabilities. US defense officials state clearly in the document that 'the proposed sale will improve Morocco's long-term defense capacity to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity and to meet its national defense requirements. Morocco will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces.' The sale includes not just the missiles and launch units but also missile simulation rounds, Javelin support equipment, hand and measuring tools, books and publications, and power and distribution equipment. It also covers component parts and support equipment, life cycle support and technical assistance, gunner and ammunition officer training, System Integration and Check Out (SICO), maintenance training, Tactical Aviation and Ground Munitions (TAGM), and other related logistics and program support elements. The prime contractors will be the Javelin Joint Venture between Lockheed Martin in Orlando, Florida, and RTX Corporation in Tucson, Arizona. The notice specifically states that 'there are no known offset agreements in connection with this potential sale.' This purchase represents the first arms deal with Morocco to be announced since Donald Trump returned to the White House on January 20. It follows another recent proposal on April 15, when the US offered to sell Morocco 600 FIM-92K Stinger missiles, another advanced system, in a deal estimated at $825 million. These acquisitions continue a pattern established during Trump's first term, when Morocco secured important deals with American defense companies. In 2019, Morocco purchased 24 Apache helicopters for $1.5 billion and 25 F-16 fighter jets for nearly $3.8 billion, along with upgrades to 23 older F-16s costing around $985.2 million. What is the Javelin missile? The Javelin missile system, in production since 1996, is considered one of the most prestigious anti-tank weapons in the military industry. The highly explosive anti-tank cannon can destroy modern tanks by attacking from above where armor is thinner and is effective in direct attacks against fortifications. According to the sensitivity of technology annex in the Federal Register notice, 'the Javelin Weapon System is a medium-range, man portable, shoulder-launched, fire and forget, anti-tank system for infantry, scouts, and combat engineers.' The document further notes that 'it may also be mounted on a variety of platforms including vehicles, aircraft, and watercraft. The system weighs 49.5 pounds and has a maximum range in excess of 2,500 meters.' The document further explains that 'Javelin's key technical feature is the use of fire-and-forget technology which allows the gunner to fire and immediately relocate or take cover.' The system includes 'top attack and direct fire modes, an advanced tandem warhead and imaging infrared seeker, target lock-on before launch, and soft launch from enclosures or covered fighting positions.' Military cooperation between Morocco and the United States has strengthened over time, establishing Morocco as a key defense partner for Washington in Africa. The two countries regularly participate in joint military exercises, including African Lion, the largest annual US-led military drill on the continent, which enhances coordination between their forces. With these new acquisitions, Morocco continues to develop one of the most modern military forces in North Africa. According to the official notification, the US government has determined that 'Morocco can provide substantially the same degree of protection for the sensitive technology being released as the U.S. Government' and that the sale 'will not alter the basic military balance in the region.' The total military spending package, valued at $260 million, consists of $180 million for major defense equipment and $80 million for other related items and services, according to the Federal Register publication. The funding source is listed as 'National Funds' from Morocco.
Ya Biladi
01-06-2025
- Business
- Ya Biladi
Morocco's $260 million Javelin Missile deal with the U.S. moves forward
Pending Congressional approval, Morocco's order for 612 Javelin missiles was published in the U.S. Federal Register on May 27. This potential sale, valued at $260 million (or 2.61 billion dirhams), has already received the green light from the State Department, as announced by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency in a statement on March 19. «This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a Major Non-NATO Ally that continues to be an important force for political stability and economic progress in North Africa», the statement added. This marks the first major U.S. arms sale to Morocco announced since Donald Trump's return to the White House on January 20. It was followed, on April 15, by a proposal to sell the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) 600 FIM-92K Stinger Block I missiles and related equipment for an estimated $825 million (approximately 7.7 billion dirhams). As with the Javelin order, this deal is also awaiting Congressional approval. During Trump's first term, Morocco signed major contracts with the U.S. military industry, including the 2019 purchase of 24 Apache helicopters for $1.5 billion, 25 new F-16 Block 72 fighter jets for $3.787 billion, and the upgrade of 23 older F-16s for $985.2 million.
Hindustan Times
15-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
US approves $304 million missile sale to Turkey as ties warm up
The US approved the sale of $304 million-worth of missiles to Turkey as the NATO allies work to strengthen trade and defense ties. The deal, which still needs Congressional sign-off, came as Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Turkey to attend a meeting of NATO foreign ministers on Thursday. Rubio is expected to travel on to Istanbul the following day for potential talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials about a ceasefire. Turkey has requested 53 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles at an estimated cost of $225 million and 60 Block II missiles at $79.1 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said. The RTX Corporation will be the principal contractor for the sales. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been looking for a tentative meeting with US President Donald Trump to reset strained relations stemming from Ankara's purchase of a Russian missile-defense system and Washington's support for a Syrian Kurdish militia that Turkey views as a threat to the country, among other disputes. Turkey and the US have been holding talks over the integration of the US-backed Kurdish forces, who have links to a separatist Turkish group, the PKK, into a new Syrian army. Earlier this week, the PKK announced it would lay down its arms to end a 40-year war for autonomy against Turkey, a historic step that could strengthen Ankara's aspirations to become a regional powerhouse. The US and Turkey have the two largest armies in NATO, giving them good reason to maintain their seven-decade alliance. As the Pentagon plans to consolidate operations in Syria and draw down troops to less than 1,000, Ankara is offering several thousand Turkish soldiers already stationed across the border to help stabilize its war-ravaged neighbor. At the same time, Turkey is prepared to assist in monitoring a potential ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine across the Black Sea, in line with the US goal of stabilizing the region. Turkey has repeatedly expressed its intention to add F-35 warplanes to its planned arms purchases, although this will require the US to lift a ban on Ankara from buying the fifth-generation fighter imposed following its acquisition of the Russian S-400 missile-defense system. Turkey's purchase of the Russian S-400s resulted in a deadlock with Washington, prompting the latter to impose sanctions known as CAATSA, that targeted the nation's defense industry and removed it from the F-35 development program. Ankara has refused to jettison the S-400s as demanded by Washington but it has high hopes that Trump could agree to amend the CAATSA to enable Turkey to buy F-35 jets built by Lockheed Martin Corp. Resolving the spat over the Russian S-400 missiles could lead to an unprecedented increase in defense-industry cooperation between the longtime allies. Outside of defense, Turkey has been considering an increase of liquefied natural gas imports from the US and is working to finalize an order for Boeing Co. aircraft.
