GENEVA

The US has redirected Swiss payments intended for F-35 fighter jets to fund Patriot air defense systems despite a Swiss payment freeze, according to a report Thursday by Swiss Radio and Television (SRF).

Switzerland halted payments for the Patriot system last fall after being informed of multi-year delivery delays. But the report said the freeze has had a limited effect as funds have been shifted within the US Foreign Military Sales program.

Urs Loher, head of armaments at armasuisse -- Switzerland’s federal defense procurement and technology agency -- confirmed to SRF that US authorities redirected the payments, describing the sum as "a low three-digit million amount," or well over 100 million Swiss francs ($126 million).

Under the US system, payments for multiple defense projects are pooled in a single fund, allowing authorities to reallocate resources between programs when needed.

Loher called the situation "very unsatisfactory," warning that the shift has created budget gaps for Switzerland’s F-35 program. The Defense Ministry was forced to advance tens of millions of francs in late 2025 to compensate, according to the report.

It said the US is expected to continue reallocating funds this year, despite the freeze.

The development has Swiss lawmakers questioning the reliability of US defense agreements.

Sen. Werner Salzmann, from the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, said it was "frustrating" that a payment freeze could be bypassed, and trust in Washington has been affected.

Sen. Josef Dittli of the center-right Radical-Liberal Party also raised concerns, suggesting authorities may not have anticipated such a mechanism. Meanwhile, Social Democrat lawmaker Priska Seiler Graf said the situation reinforces calls to cancel the Patriot purchase, reflecting broader opposition to major US arms deals.