The Norwegian defense company Kongsberg and the European defense giant MBDA have informed the Swiss Federal Office for Defense Procurement, armasuisse, that they will not participate in the evaluation for a new medium-range ground-based air defense system (Bodluv MR).
This leaves Diehl Defence of Germany as the sole participant with its IRIS-T SLM system.
The withdrawal followed the issuance of the request for proposal by armasuisse on April 30, 2024. Diehl Defence remains the only potential manufacturer in the competition.
The evaluation process continues as planned, with the goal of procuring a medium-range air defense system to enhance Switzerland’s defense capabilities as quickly as possible. The Swiss Parliament is currently discussing moving the procurement up from 2025 to 2024.
Armasuisse expects Diehl Defence to submit its offer by mid-July 2024. A decision in favor of the remaining candidate is anticipated in the third quarter of 2024, provided that the offer meets armasuisse’s requirements and is cost-effective.
The future system must fulfill military, technical, and logistical requirements and must already be successfully deployed. Additionally, the inclusion of the Swiss industry is of particular importance. One hundred percent of the purchase price must be compensated with offset deals within Switzerland, and the offer must detail targeted and initiated offset projects.
The Bodluv MR project aims to renew crucial air defense systems for the Swiss Army. The renewal will address existing security and capability gaps in space and object protection, enabling engagement with incoming targets at medium range and complementing the long-range Patriot system.
Current systems are nearing the end of their operational life, and existing systems like the Stinger and Medium Air Defense (M Flab) have very short ranges, while modern combat aircraft deploy their weapons from higher altitudes and greater distances.
