Swiss Army to buy Elbit’s Radio Communication Systems for Over $200M

Israel-based Elbit Systems will reportedly supply the Swiss army with radio communication systems worth over $200 million.

Elbit announced on Tuesday that it had been selected by the Swiss army for the contract. Although the company did not disclose the value of the agreement, Hebrew media said that the contract, pending approval by the Swiss parliament, is valued at $200-300 million.

The company will provide Switzerland with a communications platform based on its E-LynX family of tactical software defined radio solutions. Elbit said it was chosen after lengthy testing by Swiss defense authorities, and was selected by the Swiss Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport.

“We are proud to have been selected to provide such an important capability to the Swiss Armed Forces,” said Elbit’s president and CEO, Bezhalel Machlis.

The Swiss military plans on buying the equipment sometime next year. The order will replace its mobile radio devices and vehicle intercom systems, which are scheduled to end their service lives between 2018 and 2022. Switzerland started looking at replacements for its communications equipment in 2015, initially inviting 15 companies to submit tenders.

Elbit eventually beat out the Swiss communications company Roschi Rohde & Schwarz AG, Ittigen, a subsidiary of Germany’s Rohde & Schwarz, to win the contract.

In 2015, Elbit sold surveillance drones to Switzerland at an estimated cost of $256 million.