In a significant shift driven by mounting pressure to bolster Ukraine’s defenses, the United States has informed Switzerland that Patriot missile defense systems initially earmarked for the neutral nation will be redirected to Kyiv. The announcement, made by Swiss authorities on July 17, revealed that Washington officially communicated the decision just a day earlier.
Switzerland, which placed an order for five Raytheon-made Patriot systems in 2022 as part of a broader national defense overhaul, had expected deliveries between 2026 and 2028. However, under the U.S. foreign military sales framework, the Pentagon retains authority to reprioritize deliveries — especially in times of urgent geopolitical need.
While the exact number of diverted systems and new delivery timelines remain unclear, this move marks a second such shift: last year, the U.S. redirected a batch of PAC-3 MSE interceptors — the Patriot system’s most advanced missiles — also intended for Switzerland.
At the same time, Germany is working to procure two Patriot batteries from the U.S. to transfer directly to Ukraine. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated during a recent visit to Washington that discussions are underway, with each unit potentially costing around $1 billion depending on interceptor quantities. He emphasized that all pending details in the deal are “resolvable.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s top air commander in Europe, announced at the LandEuro conference in Wiesbaden a collaborative initiative to coordinate the delivery of Patriots and other air defense tools to Ukraine. His goal: to unite European partners and assess “the art of the possible” in accelerating the supply of cutting-edge air defense assets to a nation under near-constant missile and drone attack.
