Swiss Patriot delivery faces long delay, procurement chief says

ZURICH, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Switzerland's order for US-made Patriot air defence systems is facing long delays and the country should move fast to secure another potential option, Urs Loher, head of Swiss defence procurement agency Armasuisse, was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

Neutral Switzerland needed to take its defence capabilities more seriously, and the country is now marginalised in international discussions, Loher said in an interview with the Neue Zuercher Zeitung newspaper.

• Bern has said cancelling the purchase of the Patriot system made by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin is an option. Loher said the order is now "massively delayed"

• Washington is prioritising Germany for the Patriot units meant for Switzerland, though Bern is getting back some of its down payments, Loher said

• Bern this year began contract talks with manufacturers from France, Israel and South Korea for an additional air defence system, and Loher said if Switzerland wants to be operational before 2030, a second procurement is hard to avoid

• Switzerland should move fast to approve that procurement because binding offers made were due to expire in February, so Swiss officials have asked for them to be extended, he said

• He said future procurement will be much more expensive and that if the initial Swiss order of five Patriot fire units shrinks further, the question arose as to whether it makes sense

• Following wrangling about prices over a US fighter jet order, Switzerland — where possible — would aim to buy directly from manufacturers, Loher said

• Noting "Swiss security awareness lags clearly behind European reality," Loher said: "Today, nobody understands Switzerland abroad anymore. People hardly talk to me anymore"

• "My colleagues from other countries solve their problems together," he said. "Switzerland is marginalized"

(Writing by Dave Graham; Editing by Andrew Heavens)