Switzerland shortlists SAMP/T, Barak MX for long-range air defense

PARIS — Switzerland narrowed down the choice of the country’s second future long-range air defense system to either Israel’s Barak MX system or the French-Italian SAMP/T NG, while also sticking to plans to buy the United States’ Patriot air-defense system. The federal government asked the defense department to continue evaluating the Barak MX developed by Israel Aerospace Industries and the SAMP/T NG from the Eurosam joint venture between MBDA and Thales, it said on Wednesday . In addition to technical, military and weapon-related aspects, the choice takes into account foreign-policy and…