Under The Angsana Tree: Singapore gets US approval to buy F-35B

Singapore and US partnership in military modernization

Update 25 Feb 2023: Singapore to acquire eight additional F-35Bs

The 8 fifth-generation F-35A stealth fighter jets will grow Spore's F-35 fleet to 20, replacing the ageing F-16s

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) will buy eight F-35A jets, continuing its build-up of a “next-generation” force to serve the country’s security needs.

The aircraft are expected to be delivered around 2030, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said during the Ministry of Defence’s (MINDEF) budget debate in parliament on Wednesday (Feb 28). This is on top of RSAF’s existing order of 12 F-35 jets of the “B” variant, expanding its full fleet of the fifth-generation US-made fighter aircraft to 20.

Once operational, the F-35 jets will put Singapore’s air force in the “premier league”, he said. The purchase is timed to capitalise on a “window of opportunity”. F-35 prices are now more competitive amid a healthy order pipeline for the jets globally, said Dr Ng, who did not reveal the cost of Singapore’s F-35A purchase.

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Workers’ Party MP Sylvia Lim questions MINDEF’s latest purchases and its implications

As an example, Ms Lim referred to the crucial defects of the US F-35 programme. She noted that the said programme has been dogged by cost overruns and questions about reliability, adding that there were also issues regarding the leak of confidential data that later required costly redesigns and retrofits from various vendors and subcontractors.

Ms Lim pointed out that as of January, Singapore’s purchase of 12 such aircrafts for an estimated cost of US$2.75 billion was undergoing the US Congressional approval process. She stressed that these need to be configured into the overall cost.

Therefore, Ms Lim raised the question, “Can MINDEF elaborate on how it injects rigour into its procurement decisions to ensure value for money?” Additionally, Ms Lim had also touched on the subject of East Asia becoming a site of intense power contestation with many of its regional actors adopting overt militarised stances, such as the purchasing of arms and taking on muscular positions over the disputes therein.

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Ng Eng Hen @Ng_Eng_Hen · Mar 2

@TheRSAF is maintaining its deterrent edge with acquisition of the 5th-gen F-35B, with short take-off/vertical landing (STOVL), and full suite of sensors and fighting capabilities. MINDEF is acquiring four F-35s, with an option to purchase eight more. #SGBudget2020

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Singapore's F-35 jet purchase part of longstanding bilateral relationship: US official

A US F-35B fighter jet which will feature in the upcoming Singapore Airshow, at Changi Air Base on Feb 7, 2020.ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG

Singapore's recent purchase of the F-35B fighter jets is part of the vital and longstanding relationship shared between the Republic and the United States, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, Mr Rene Clarke Cooper, said on Monday (Feb 10).

The purchase of the jets is also not just a matter of protecting Singapore's sovereignty, but a contribution to regional peace and stability as well, he added.

Speaking to global media via telephone hook-up, Mr Cooper also said that the purchase is part of a "longer-term process" with Singapore.

related: US government paves way for sale of F-35B fighter jets to Singapore

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Singapore gets the green light to buy F-35B

A Marine F-35B seems to hover over the runway as it descends toward the ground during the first short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing mission at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (Samuel King Jr./U.S. Air Force)

The U.S. government on Thursday formally approved Singapore to become the next customer of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, paving the way for a future sale. Last year, Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen announced that the country would submit a letter of request to the U.S. government to purchase four F-35B short takeoff and landing jets, with the intention of a total of 12 "B" models.

The U.S. State Department endorsement made Jan. 9 would allow Singapore to move ahead with purchasing those jets, at an estimated cost of $2.75 billion, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. Also included in the proposed deal are up to 13 Pratt & Whitney F135 engines, unspecified electronic warfare and communications systems, training equipment, and the Autonomic Logistics Information System used for mission planning, maintenance and other logistics functions.

“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States. Singapore is a strategic friend and Major Security Cooperation Partner and an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Asia Pacific region,” DSCA stated in a release.

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US approves $2.75b fighter jet sale to Singapore

A Republic of Singapore Airforce, F-15 fighter jet flies over the sky of Singapore on February 18, 2019. (AFP/Roslan Rahman)

The United States has approved the sale of up to 12 F-35 fighter jets - one of the most advanced warplanes ever built - to Singapore for around $2.75 billion, officials said Friday. The city-state last year said it planned to buy four of the jets, with an option to purchase eight more, picking the Lockheed Martin model over rivals from Europe and China.

Despite its small size, Singapore has one of the region's best equipped armed forces and spends a large chunk of its national budget on defence. The State Department had approved the jet sale, said the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency, adding Congress had been notified and must now also give the green light. "Singapore is a strategic friend and major security cooperation partner and an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Asia-Pacific region," said the agency. It added that the deal "will not alter the basic military balance in the region".

The affluent city-state spent several years assessing which fighter jet should replace its ageing fleet of F-16s before choosing the F-35s. It is a supersonic plane whose advanced stealth characteristics allow pilots to avoid detection by radars, according to Lockheed Martin. Its advanced electronic warfare capabilities enable pilots to locate and track enemy forces, jam radars and disrupt attacks. The Singapore military also has F-15 fighter jets, Apache helicopters and submarines in its arsenal.

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Pentagon notifies Congress of $2.75B proposed fighter jet sale to Singapore

The Trump administration has moved forward a possible $2.75 billion F-35 fighter jet sale to Singapore, formally notifying Congress of the deal on Thursday. The sale includes four initial F-35B short take-off and vertical landing variant aircraft, with the option to acquire an additional eight as well as relevant equipment and support. “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States,” a statement posted to the website of the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said. The DSCA handles foreign military sales.

“Singapore is a strategic friend and Major Security Cooperation Partner and an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Asia Pacific region,” it stated. Singapore in February 2019 first announced it planned to buy the F-35s from U.S. manufacturer Lockheed Martin Corp as it looks to replace its current F-16 fleet.

The country’s roughly 60 F-16 jets entered service in 1998 but will be retired shortly after 2030. Singapore joins the 10 other foreign militaries that have decided or are seeking to add the advanced fighter jet into its arsenal.

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State Department Approves Possible Sale of F-35Bs to Singapore

(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Charles Plouffe)

The State Department on Jan. 9 approved the possible sale of 12 F-35Bs to Singapore at a cost of about $2.75 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the possible sale, which is subject to approval on Capitol Hill. The sale would include up to 12—four initially, with an option of eight—of the aircraft and 13 F135 engines, along with electronic warfare systems, the Autonomic Logistics Information System, training systems, software development, personnel training, among others. Prime contractors on the sale are Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney.

“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States,” DSCA said in a statement. “Singapore is a strategic friend and Major Security Cooperation Partner and an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Asia-Pacific region.”

The country has long been expected to purchase the aircraft, with Lockheed Martin recently saying the purchase would help offset the loss of sales to Turkey, which was kicked out of the program last year when it insisted on buying the Russian-made S400 integrated air defense system. If approved, Singapore would join Australia, South Korea, and Japan as operators of the jet in the Pacific region. The country already flies the US-made F-15SGs and F-16s.

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U.S. State Dept. approves sale of 12 F-35 jets to Singapore

FILE PHOTO: A F-35B Lightning II aircraft is launched aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Essex, September 27, 2018. Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Matthew Freeman/U.S. Navy/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

The U.S. State Department has approved the sale of up to 12 F-35 fighter jets and related equipment to Singapore at an estimated cost of $2.75 billion, pending approval from Congress, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency said on Friday.

The Southeast Asian city-state said last year it planned to buy an initial four F-35s from Lockheed Martin Corp, with an option for eight more, as it looks to replace its aging F-16 fleet.

“The State Department has made a determination approving a possible foreign military sale to Singapore of up to twelve F-35B ... aircraft and related equipment for an estimated cost of $2.750 billion,” the DSCA said in a statement, adding it had notified Congress of a possible sale.

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US approves sale of 12 F-35 fighter jets to Singapore

Singapore is a key prize for global arms companies as it looks to invest in new technology and upgrade its equipment. Photo: Los Angeles Times/TNS

The US State Department has approved the sale of up to 12 F-35 fighter jets and related equipment to Singapore at an estimated cost of US$2.75 billion, pending approval from Congress, the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said on Friday.

The city state said last year it planned to buy an initial four F-35s from Lockheed Martin Corp, with an option for eight more, as it looks to replace its ageing F-16 fleet.

“The State Department has made a determination approving a possible foreign military sale to Singapore of up to twelve F-35B … aircraft and related equipment for an estimated cost of US$2.750 billion,” the DSCA said in a statement, adding it had notified Congress of a possible sale.

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US Approves $2.7 Billion Potential Sale of 12 F-35B Jets to Singapore

The US State Department green-lighted the sale of 12 F-35B fighter jets to Singapore in a deal worth more than $2.7 billion, the Defence Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.

"The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Singapore of up to twelve F-35B Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) aircraft and related equipment for an estimated cost of $2.750 billion. The Defence Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today", the release said on Thursday. Earlier in the month, Pentagon’s Defence Contract Management Agency (DMCA) said that Lockheed delivered 134 of the fighter jets in 2019. Since the year of 2016, 458 jets have been deployed out of about 3,500 planned purchases by the US and its allies, from Australia to Poland.

Lockheed Martin’s F-35 aircraft is a fifth-generation stealth multirole fighter. It is considered the most expensive weapons program in history, with a projected life cycle cost of between $1 trillion and $1.5 trillion.

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USA approves Singapore to buy up to 12 F-35B stealth fighters

F-35B Lighting II performs deck landing qualifications on the US Marine Corps USS Wasp

The potential deal would be for an initial package of four aircraft, with the option to buy eight more examples. The announcement was expected as Singapore said in January 2019 that it plans to use a small number of F-35s in an evaluation programme before buying additional jets.

The F-35B is the short-take-off-and-vertical-landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter. A ducted fan that is geared to its main turbine and an exhaust nozzle that rotates downward allow the fighter to take off from shortened or ramped runways, for example on small aircraft carriers. It also can land vertically. F-35B aircraft have been delivered to the US Marine Corps and the Royal Navy. Italy also is to acquire the F-35B. All three services plan to operate the short-take-off-and-vertical-landing variant from aircraft carriers, as well as austere military bases.

Singapore does not have an aircraft carrier, but could use short-take-off-and-vertical-landing capabilities to fly the F-35B from small, hard-to-find military bases. Quickly concealing aircraft from an attack – possibly on an ally’s aircraft carrier or on a remote island – is an important consideration for the small city state as its air bases are easily reachable by an adversary’s missiles.

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US Approves Sale of 12 F-35 Fighters to Singapore

The U.S. State Department has approved the sale of up to 12 F-35 fighter jets and related equipment to Singapore at an estimated cost of $2.75 billion, pending approval from Congress, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency said on Friday. The Southeast Asian city-state said last year it planned to buy an initial four F-35s from Lockheed Martin Corp, with an option for eight more, as it looks to replace its aging F-16 fleet.

"The State Department has made a determination approving a possible foreign military sale to Singapore of up to twelve F-35B ... aircraft and related equipment for an estimated cost of $2.750 billion," the DSCA said in a statement, adding it had notified Congress of a possible sale. The DSCA said the sale would involve equipment from Lockheed and engine maker Pratt and Whitney. The F-35B variant of the jet can handle short takeoffs and vertical landings, attributes seen as benefiting land-scarce Singapore.

Singapore's defense ministry said formal terms of the purchase would be negotiated after approval from Congress.

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U.S. confirms possible F-35 sale to Singapore

The U.S. State Department on 9 January approved the possible Foreign Military Sale of F-35B Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) stealth aircraft to Singapore for approximately $2.750 billion, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced in a news release the same day.

The agency said Singapore requested to buy up to 12 F-35B STOVL aircraft (four F-35B STOVL aircraft with the option to purchase an additional eight F-35B STOVL aircraft). In addition to the aircraft, Singapore requested to buy 13 Pratt and Whitney F135 Engines (includes 1 initial spare), electronic warfare (EW) systems; command, control, communications, computer, and intelligence/communications, navigational; and other equipment.

“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States,” said in a news release. ” Singapore is a strategic friend and Major Security Cooperation Partner and an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Asia Pacific region.”

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US State Dept approves US$2.75b F-35B jets sale to Singapore, reports agency

US approval has been given for Singapore to procure 12 F-35B fighter jets (pic) for US$2.75 billion. — Reuters pic

The US State Department has approved the sale of up to 12 F-35B fighter jets and related equipment to Singapore at an estimated cost of US$2.75 billion (RM11.27 billion), pending approval from Congress, the Defence Security Cooperation Agency said today.

The Asian city-state said last year it planned buy an initial four F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin Corp , with an option for eight more, as it looks to replace its ageing F-16 fleet.

With Southeast Asia's largest defence budget, wealthy Singapore is a key prize for global arms companies as it looks to invest in new technology and upgrade its equipment.

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US Plans Decision on F-35 Full-Rate Production in Autumn of 2020 - Undersecretary of Defence

Defence Department policy calls for all of the F-35’s deficiencies to be resolved prior to beginning with full-rate production to avoid expensive retrofits needed to bring existing jets to standard.

The US Defenсe Department plans to decide whether to begin full-rate production of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter before the end of 2020 and is confident the decision will not be delayed due to systemic obstacles in the supply chain for aircraft parts, Undersecretary of Defenсe for Acquisition Ellen Lord said during a press briefing on Tuesday.

Lord’s assessment was somewhat more optimistic than in October, when she warned the determination on the F-35 aircraft’s full-rate production could be delayed until early 2021. The Defense Department had previously expected to begin full rate production by the end of this year. Lord said one potential supply chain problem, corrosion found in fasteners used in F-35 jets delivered thus far had been resolved.

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