In February 2025, the US defence agency DSCA informed Switzerland that the fixed price agreed for the 36 F-35A fighter jets had been a misunderstanding. The additional cost: between 650 million and 1.3 billion US dollars.
This book traces a pattern across six decades — from the Mirage affair of 1964 through the troubled Panzer 68, the failed Gripen, the endless drone odyssey, to the F-35 debacle. At every point the same symptoms: cost overruns after contract signature, warnings dismissed as endangering national interests, oversight bodies weakened, data marked for destruction.
The central question: if the customer supervises the buyer — can the procurement agency evaluate independently at all?
Who is this book for?
- Swiss citizens who want to understand where their tax money goes
- Members of parliament and public administration
- Anyone interested in governance and institutional oversight