Despite Trump’s tariffs: Swiss army buys US assault rifles

The command of special forces of the Swiss army should receive a new assault rifle, as a replacement for the assault rifle 07. When US President Donald Trump imposed massive punitive tariffs against Switzerlandwhere: the assault rifle 25 is bought from the US manufacturer Lewis Machine and Tool (LMT) based in Eldridge, Illinois.

According to the “Swiss soldier”, the reason for the new procurement is the wear on the assault rifle 07, which has led to increasing maintenance costs. The assault rifle should be cheaper in maintenance and sustainable.

The purchase contract was signed in December 2024 when Trump was already elected, but was not yet in office. According to the “Swiss soldier”, LMT prevailed against 16 other providers in an evaluation – “the decisive factor were precision, reliability and ergonomics”.