Switzerland has chosen the SIG Sauer P320 as the new standard service pistol for its military, replacing the long-serving SIG P220 (Pistol 75) originally fielded in the 1970s. The decision was made under the New Generation sidearm program overseen by the Swiss Defence Procurement Office. A key factor in the selection was the requirement for domestic industrial participation, aligning with Switzerland’s national defense policy. SIG Sauer confirmed that production will be established in Switzerland, reinforcing supply-chain security. The P320 was evaluated alongside Glock’s G45 Gen 5 and Heckler & Koch’s SFP9. While all candidates met technical benchmarks, Switzerland selected the P320 due to its strong economic advantages, policy alignment, and lowest life-cycle cost over its planned 30-year service life. Some ergonomic and durability upgrades were requested, but SIG Sauer agreed to implement all required modifications. The military plans to acquire around 140,000 pistols, beginning with an initial batch of 50,000. Funding is allocated from a mid-range, double-digit million budget, which covers holsters, training hardware, and dummy weapons.
