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Switzerland Army | Mirage Affair (1961-1966)
How did the Mirage affair come about? In 1961, Parliament had approved a sum of 870 million Swiss francs to procure 100 French Mirage III fighter aircraft. Unnoticed by Parliament and the Federal Council, the original fighter was trimmed into a fighter-bomber by an overzealous administration with special equipment. The dream: the possibility of nuclear armament. In the process, the financial consequences were completely lost sight of. Finally, an embarrassed Federal Councillor Paul Chaudet had to ask parliament for an additional credit of 576 million Swiss francs. But the government pulled the emergency brake and only approved a supplementary credit of 150 million francs. In the end, the 100 aircraft became 57. Some of those responsible from the military department were also caught in the crossfire of criticism: Division Chief Etienne Primault, commander of the air force, was relieved of his post, and Chief of Staff Jakob Annasohn resigned. The procurement scandal led to the first Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry in Switzerland and thus inscribed itself in Swiss politics as a "procurement trauma". The resignation of Defence Minister Paul Chaudet on 28 November 1966 finally marked the end of the Mirage affair. Since then, every new procurement of combat aircraft has been, with recurring regularity, a military-political tightrope walk with the risk of crashing. (luk)
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