ZURICH, April 1 (Reuters) - The Swiss government will continue to withhold payments to the United States for a Patriot missile system order until Washington provides binding delivery dates, adding that terminating the purchase is an option, it said on Wednesday.
The delivery schedule remains uncertain, as do payment milestones, the government said in a statement.
Defence Minister Martin Pfister said the government still expected to acquire the system, but was ruling nothing out.
"We are currently negotiating all possible options with the United States, and that includes a potential termination," he told reporters at a news conference, noting it was not clear what the conditions for any cancellation would be.
The government said it had brought forward a payment related to a F-35A fighter jet order to the end of March 2026 to ensure procurement of the aircraft is not jeopardised by decisions concerning the Patriot system.
The Defence Ministry said it plans to inform Switzerland's governing Federal Council by the end of June on the next steps regarding procurement of the Patriot system.
(Writing by Miranda Murray and Dave Graham; editing by Matthias Williams)
