Defense Parliament wants more money for air defense

The National Council continued its deliberations on the 2024 Armed Forces Dispatch on Thursday morning. Like the Council of States, it wants to spend CHF 660 million more on the armaments program than the Federal Council. The money is to be used for air defense.

The increase should make it possible to procure medium-range air defense missiles earlier than originally planned. In the overall vote, the large chamber approved the federal resolution on the armaments program by 161 votes to 22 with one abstention.

A motion from the ranks of the SP and the Greens to stick with the Federal Council's draft did not receive a majority.

The National Council followed the Federal Council's proposal on two other federal resolutions. These concerned the procurement of army equipment over the next four years and the Defense Department's real estate programme.

A left-wing minority of the pre-advisory committee requested that the commitment credits for the procurement of army equipment be reduced by ten percent. The Council wanted nothing to do with this.

SDA