Swiss gov’t warns about possible lag in fighter jet purchase

GENEVA (AP) — Switzerland’s defense department says any delay to a planned multibillion-dollar acquisition of U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets would have “grave consequences” for Swiss security. On Tuesday, the Swiss government announced that campaigners had cleared the bar of 100,000 signatures on a petition calling for a referendum on the planned purchase of 36 of the Lockheed Martin-built planes. The government wants them as part of a vast refurbishment of capability of the Swiss air force by 2030. The activists want to hold the referendum in March — the same month that the U.S. offer would expire. The Swiss defense department says the timetable is simply too tight.