Lockheed Martin is ahead in Swiss fighter jet evaluation, says TV report

Lockheed Martin's F35-A has come out top in a Swiss evaluation to find a new replacement fighter jet for the armed forces, Swiss public television SRF reported on Monday. The government is due to decide this month between the American F35-A, the Airbus Eurofighter, the French Rafale from Dassault and another US-made fighter jet - Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet. “According to insiders, the preparations for the eagerly awaited Federal Council (executive body) decision are well advanced. A media release about the purchase of the F-35 has already been drafted - but the entire Federal Council could still decide otherwise,” SRF said on Monday, citing three independent unnamed sources. The sources told SRF that: “Switzerland can buy a larger number of F-35s with the budgeted CHF6 billion than would be the case with the three competitors. The F-35’s simulator could also be an asset. It would allow the F-35 to carry out significantly more virtual training missions than with the...