Buyers for Surplus Armaments

[gf0012-aust]

Not solely aircraft related - but I've included it in here due to the significance of Mirages being on the auction list.


(Source: Swiss Department for Defense, Civil Protection and Sports; issued Nov. 2, 2004)

The United Arab Emirates and Chile are buying surplus Swiss Army weapon systems. The related contracts have already been signed.

Weapons and systems made redundant to Swiss requirements by the downsizing of the armed forces, or by the procurement of more modern weapons, are offered for sale to foreign armed forces. Two new contracts have recently been signed in this respect:

-- The United Arab Emirates are buying 180 M-113 armored personnel carriers belonging to the Swiss Army;

-- A contract has been signed for the sale of 24 M-109 self-propelled artillery guns to Chile.

The contractual partner for both buyers is the RUAG company. A major industrial program is tied to the sale of these vehicles, which will be refurbished and fitted out by RUAG Land Systems.

Both sales are still subject to approval by Swiss and United States authorities. Swiss law requires an export license for the export of military vehicles from the country. Furthermore, approval by United States authorities is required as these vehicles were originally supplied to Switzerland by the United States.


13 Mirage III Fighter Aircraft to be Auctioned off at the End of November

After having been operational in the Swiss Air Force for around 35 years, the last Mirage III aircraft were decommissioned at the end of 2003.

Ten of the totally 23 remaining Mirage aircraft will go to various museums and exhibitions in Switzerland and abroad. The demand of collectors and other interested persons exceeds the number of available planes, so that the remaining thirteen aircraft will be put up to auction in Buochs (NW) on 26 November 2004.

The auctioned material also includes three airframes of Alouette III helicopters.

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OSINT report - no links available.

yes, that means I cannot give them to you at this point in time!

 

[tatra]

No takers for the Swiss MBT's (Pz68/88 etc)?

Shouldn't Pakistan be swooping up the surplus Mirages

 

[adsH]

i think PAF has had its share, they only want to keep the Mirages flying for another 6 years or so. Because fleet replacement would begin as-soon as Jf-17 enters full-scale production.

 

[ashoaib]

Which new ACs Swiss will put in their inventory after getting rid of these Mirages

 

[adsH]

the word excess is emphasized, they are excess articles that don't have any use in the current armed forces structure.

 

[SABRE]

i think PAF has had its share, they only want to keep the Mirages flying for another 6 years or so. Because fleet replacement would begin as-soon as Jf-17 enters full-scale production.

I herd its 3 to 4 max yrs left for mirages. PAF is no longer willing to risk its pilots n seant is expected to ground Mirage3 n 5 in 3 to 4 yrs. Seant got the 31 crash report.
Senat is exected to give extra funds to PAF for possible purchase of two different jets (this is just roumer now)

On this base senat will bar PAF from buying any more Mirage 3 jets.

Similar actions were taken by senat in 1952 which resulted in grounding of British WW2 plans & upgrade of PAF. PAF got extra funds from senat in 1952, these funds were for purchase of new jets. Funds were to be given to PAF on yearly bases. As a result PAF got enough to aquire Sabres, Starfighters & in 1960's Mirages (+other trainers & careers). In 1964 the extra funds came to hault as promissed amount had reached its quota.

Hope that senat takes the similar step again.

PAF & Defence sctry r to present list of new jets which PAF can aquire to senat. I have herd the top names of the list by some one but dnt want to reveal them as it is just a roumer right now. If some thing comes up, u ll get informed anyways.

 

[tatra]

i think PAF has had its share, they only want to keep the Mirages flying for another 6 years or so. Because fleet replacement would begin as-soon as Jf-17 enters full-scale production.

Total 23 remaining Mirage aircraft, over six years is usage of 4 per year, not a heavy burden for PAK, indeed might be usefull source of spares.

 

[tatra]

Which new ACs Swiss will put in their inventory after getting rid of these Mirages

After some lenghty testing, the Chief of the Swiss Army asked the Swiss parliament to approve fundings for 100 Mirage III and got approval in summer 1961. Soon after the start for the preparation for the license built, a massive cost overrun was detected, which caused a political scandal called "Mirage Skandal". The number of aircraft to be procured was reduced to 57. However the fines payable to Dassault for reducing the number of aircraft built in Switzerland almost cost as much as the remaining 43 aircraft would have cost. Swiss Mirage inventory:

36 Mirage III S - Fighter
18 Mirage III RS - Reconnaissance
2 Mirage III BS - Trainer
1 Mirage III C - Test aircraft

The loss of a Mirage III BS forced the Swiss Air Force to buy another two-seater Mirage III Bs which also crashed soon afterwards. Therefore another one was built from spares. In 1983, another 2 trainer were made of spares. From 1983 onward, all Mirage III remaining operational were updated and equipped with canards. This update also included the Mirage III BS designation being changed to Mirage III DS. All Mirage III S were withdrawn from use as of the end of 1999. All remaining Mirage III were withdrawn from use by the end of 2003.

The Swiss AF started to evaluate a new interceptor in 1973, in order to replace the ageing Hunter fleet. During the spring session of the parliment, the procurement of 66 F-5E single-seater and 6 trainer was approved. During 1978, the frist 19 aircraft (13 F-5E and all 6 F-5F) were transported to Switzerland on board of C-5 Galaxy of the USAF. All remaining 43 aircraft were then assembled at the Aircraft Factory at Emmen. The F-5 proved to meet all criterias very well, and so the Swiss Air Force procured another batch in 1979, which consisted of 32 single- and 6 dual-seater. All but one aircraft were built at Emmen. They still fly today.

In 1993, the Swiss Government ordered 34 FA-18s from the United States.
After a lenghty discussion, which ended in a public vote on a new fighter aircraft, Switzerland procured 26 F-18C single seater and 8 dual seater. The delivery of the first plane took place in January 1997. The delivery continued at one aircraft per month and ended in December 1999 with the hand-over of the last F/A-18C.

 

[Aussie Digger]

I know it's a bit off topic, but most current aircraft venders are trying to win the Swiss contract for fighters to replace the F-5's. The list of aircraft include Eurofighter, Rafale, Gripen, F/A-18E/F and I believe, the Su-30 Sukhoi. The F/A-18E/F would be an obvious choice and is probably the easiest and cheapest to acquire.

One plan I've read of, is for the Swiss to trade in their current F/A-18 C/D's on new build F/A-18E/F's plus acquire a new batch of follow-on F/A-18E/F's to replace the F-5 Tigers and that way make a significant logistical saving through only operating 1 aircraft type and gain a capability enhancement through operating a larger number of newer more capable aircraft. Still, we'll have to wait and see...