Rank #32 · Europe
Switzerland maintains armed neutrality while steadily increasing defense spending in response to Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with 2025 outlays reaching approximately $7.6B (0.73% of GDP). The centerpiece procurement is 30 F-35A fighters — reduced from the voter-approved 36-jet order after US price negotiations broke down in late 2025 — alongside a comprehensive conscript-based ground-force modernization under the Air2030 program.
Swiss defense appropriations are set via a four-year planning ceiling: the 2025-2028 ceiling was raised to CHF 25.8 billion, up from CHF 21.7 billion previously. The Federal Council accelerated its commitment to reach 1% of GDP by 2030 in the 2025 Armed Forces Message, which also requested an additional CHF 394 million credit from parliament to cover the revised F-35 program. Operations and maintenance consume roughly half the budget; the other half is directed at capital acquisition, principally the F-35 deliveries, ground-force vehicle renewal, and the ongoing digitization of command-and-control networks under Heer 21.
Switzerland fields a militia army of roughly 100,000 mobilizable reservists backed by around 19,000 professional cadre personnel. Universal male conscription requires service of 18 weeks initial training plus annual refresher courses. Three combined-arms brigades anchor the land force. The Air Force currently operates F/A-18C/D Hornets (about 25 remaining airworthy) and PC-21 trainers; the first F-35As are not expected until 2029. The army's Leopard 2 fleet is supplemented by Piranha armored vehicles. A June 2026 referendum concerns tightening conditions for civilian service, which parliament wants to reduce from 7,200 to 4,000 annual admissions.
RUAG MRO Switzerland (state-retained) handles maintenance and overhaul for military aviation and ammunition. Pilatus Aircraft produces the PC-21 trainer exported widely to NATO partners. Switzerland's arms-export policy is strict: political neutrality rules restrict re-export of Swiss-made ammunition to conflict zones, a constraint that became politically contentious in 2022-2024 when allies sought Swiss-origin artillery shells for Ukraine. Domestic defense industry revenues are modest relative to GDP; Switzerland is a net importer of major platforms, relying on US (F-35), German (Rheinmetall vehicles), and historically Israeli systems.
Switzerland is not a NATO member and has no active conflict commitments. Its primary exposure is coercive pressure from the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the broader European security deterioration since 2022, which triggered the accelerated spending trajectory. Berne hosts international humanitarian law institutions (ICRC, various UN bodies) and has historically provided good-offices functions. Swiss airspace neutrality and refusal to allow overflight for weapons transports to Ukraine has occasionally strained relations with EU and NATO partners. Cyber threats from state-affiliated actors against Swiss financial infrastructure and federal IT systems have increased markedly since 2022.
On December 12, 2025, the Federal Council announced the F-35 order would be cut from 36 to 30 aircraft after failed price negotiations with Lockheed Martin and the US government; parliament was asked to approve a supplemental CHF 394 million credit to cover cost growth within the CHF 6 billion voter-approved envelope. In early 2026, Switzerland's Federal Council published the Armed Forces Message 2026 accelerating the ground-force digitization roadmap. A June 14, 2026 referendum will decide whether civilian-service conditions are tightened to reduce opt-outs from military duty. Switzerland increased defense spending by 16% in nominal terms from 2024 to 2025, according to SIPRI data published April 27, 2026.
Swiss neutrality is constitutional, not a security guarantee. Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine demonstrated that large-scale conventional warfare had returned to Europe. The Federal Council concluded in 2023-2024 that the militia army required substantial investment to remain a credible deterrent, even outside NATO structures. The spending trajectory toward 1% of GDP by 2030 reflects this reassessment.
Switzerland voted in 2020 to spend CHF 6 billion on new fighters and selected the F-35A. The original plan was 36 aircraft, but in December 2025 the Federal Council cut the order to 30 jets after contract price negotiations with the US broke down. First deliveries are expected around 2029.
Yes. Swiss men are required to complete 18 weeks of basic military training and annual refresher courses until age 34 (or up to 50 for officers). Women may volunteer. Civilian service is an alternative but parliament voted in 2026 to make it less attractive by requiring annual refresher courses for civilians too, subject to a June 2026 popular vote.
Approximately 0.73% in 2025 — well below NATO's 2% guideline. The Federal Council has committed to reaching 1% by 2030. Even at 0.73%, the absolute figure is $7.6B given Switzerland's $1.04T economy, placing it inside the global top 35 spenders.