The upper house of Swiss Parliament–the Council of States–on Sept. 18 approved a measure lifting the spending ceiling for the procurement of Swedish aerospace and defense contractor Saab Group’s Gripen E fighter jet.
The Council of States previously voted in favor of procurement and a special fund for the jet, according a release from Saab. The Sept. 18 vote was the next step in concluding a deal potentially worth $3.35 billion for 22 new jets. The Gripen would replace the Swiss Air Force’s aging F-5 Tiger jets.
Parliament will revisit the Gripen decision at the end of its term on Sept. 27 when it will make a final verdict on its procurement.
Parliament’s lower chamber voted in favor of the procurement on Sept. 11, amid backlash from a public opinion poll that found most Swiss citizens oppose the jet. The Swiss people may have another chance to block the procurement, as the Swiss political system relies heavily on public referendums.