Switzerland's defense chiefs have breathed a sigh of relief after a referendum gave them a mandate to proceed with the procurement of new fighter aircraft. For the second time in six years, the country's votation system has been used to make a critical decision about national air defense capability. But this time, the need was more urgent: The Swiss air force's Northrop F-5 Tigers could easily be outgunned by modern opponents, officials say, and the legacy-model McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornets, while still capable, have required a life extension to see them through to retirement in around 2030.
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