On November 29th, Swiss voters will decide whether their government should be able to supply arms to a state involved in an armed conflict. And that brings up a pertinent question of why the neutral country is involved in producing and exporting weapons in the first place?
The voters will decide on the Amendment to the War Materiel Act.
The original legislation outlines conditions under which neutral Switzerland can export its weapon systems and components.
For instance, it bans sales to countries engaged in an armed conflict.
But according to the government, “Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has significantly worsened the security situation in Europe. To enable the Federal Council to respond appropriately to the new challenges, the Parliament has decided to amend the conditions governing the export of war material.”
If voters give this proposal a green light, it will become possible for weapons to be supplied to a partner state involved in an armed conflict – but only if this move would be “compatible with Switzerland’s neutrality and its foreign and security policy interests.”
Opponents – mostly the Swiss People’s Party – claim, on the other hand, that “the sale of Swiss weapons to lawless states would significantly increase the risk of these arms falling into the hands of terrorist groups or ending up in countries at war”.
Voters will have an ultimate say on this issue, but in the meantime, here’s more about why Switzerland, which has not been involved in an armed conflict itself in centuries, manufactures weapons at all:
Neutral – but prepared
When it comes to its arms industry, Switzerland brings out the heavy artillery (pun intended, though in a purely figurative sense).
The country produces various military equipment, small arms, ammunition, armoured vehicles, and air defence systems – but why?
The government says it is primarily for defence purposes – yes, Switzerland is neutral, but it is an armed neutrality.
“Switzerland has its own armed forces to defend its territory and independence,” the government points out.
However, Switzerland also regularly buys military hardware abroad to supplement its domestic production.
But while the main goal of arms production is for its own defence purposes, the sales of weapons to other countries are also good for the economy: in 2025, for instance, the revenue from exports reached 948.2 million francs.
Where does Switzerland export its weapons and military equipment?
It sells to countries that meet Switzerland’s strict criteria laid out under the War Materiel Act – that is, states which are not involved in active armed conflicts or severe human rights violations.
The list includes dozens of countries that meet those conditions, including all EU members, as well as Canada, Australia, Japan and New Zealand.
It used to sell to the United States as well, but it decided, in March 2026, to stop exporting new military equipment there due to the country’s involvement in an armed conflict with Iran.
Nevertheless, despite strict restrictions on providing weapons to countries at war, several years ago, Swiss weapons have been discovered in conflict zones in Afghanistan and Yemen.
A subsequent investigation revealed, however, that the equipment in question was originally sold to the US, and then handed over to the Afghan armed forces.
What will happen if voters approve the amendment to the current arms legislation?
It would give the Swiss government more flexibility in where it sells its weapons.
However, there will still be a number of restrictions in place. For instance, each sale would have to be reviewed, and approved, on a case-by-case basis. If there is a risk that the weapons could be diverted to a rogue country, the government could prohibit the export.
Nations that are subject to a United Nations arms embargo, such as Sudan, would remain excluded as well.
Shipments to Ukraine will also remain banned, even under the new law.
Why?
That’s because a neutral country must treat both sides in a conflict equally. As Switzerland does not supply military equipment to Russia, it is also not permitted to provide it to Ukraine.
