The U.S. Army has awarded Raytheon Technologies a $1.2 billion foreign military sales contract to provide Switzerland with the Patriot air defense system.
The contract is in conjunction with the Global Patriot partnership that includes the United States, Switzerland, and 16 other nations.
“Designed specifically to counter today’s threats, Patriot is the proven, reliable ground-based air defense capability for the U.S. Army and now 17 international countries,” Raytheon Land Warfare & Air Defense President Tom Laliberty said. “Switzerland now joins this Global Patriot user community and will benefit from unparalleled commonality, cooperation, experience, and cost-sharing over the weapon system’s life cycle.”
The Patriot serves as the world’s most advanced air and missile defense system. Raytheon’s scope of work includes producing five Patriot fire units and a quantity of Guidance Enhanced Missiles known as GEM-T.
The GEM-T missile is proven to defeat tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and enemy aircraft.
Raytheon is slated to work with Swiss industry to deliver the Patriot system to meet the nation’s air defense needs and safeguard its sovereignty, with the company maintaining the Patriot is the most effective, sophisticated, and only combat-proven ground-based air defense capability available in the world to defeat advanced long-range cruise missiles; tactical ballistic missiles; and a full spectrum of air-breathing threats.