As the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) plans to add eight more Lockheed Martin F-35A fighter aircraft to its fleet, the U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning IIs, for the first time, participated in bilateral training with RSAF at Paya Lebar Air Base, Singapore this week.
Speaking in Parliament, Singapore’s Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen announced the acquisition of eight F-35A fighter aircraft which will complement an existing order for 12 F-35B aircraft. The A variant is designed for conventional takeoffs and landings, while the B variant with a lift fan enables short takeoffs and vertical landings.
“Steady defence spending allowed this calculated decision, including the mid-life upgrade of the F-16s before they are progressively drawn down from mid-2030s onwards & replaced by the F-35s,” he said.
RSAF began the process of evaluation of the F-35 in 2004, before announcing its first purchase of four aircraft in 2019.
When the F-35s are delivered in 2026, they will enable the Air Force to progressively draw down its ageing F-16s while maintaining a capable air force, the minister said. The new jets would be delivered in the 2030 timeframe.
The defence ministry’s budget for the coming financial year is projected to be SGD20.2 billion – a 2.5 per cent increase from financial year 2023.
Dr Ng said that while Singapore’s defence spending has increased nominally in recent years, the share as a percentage of GDP has been falling, mainly due to faster economic growth. “If Singaporeans will not or cannot defend Singapore, there is no backstop. That is the simple truth,” he said.
Meanwhile, this week the F-35s from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and RSAF F-15SBs and F-16 Fighting Falcons conducted various training scenarios to enhance trust and increase interoperability amongst the U.S. and Singapore air forces.
“We are working with them, seeing how they fly and operate, and then how we can work together,” said Capt. Nicholas Villanueva, 356th Fighter Squadron pilot. “It’s actually a pretty easy transition to combine how they do things and how we do things, and working together to increase our interoperability.”
The training practised Dynamic Force Employment to enhance lethality, capabilities and competitiveness. While the components of the training are not new, participants added an element to make it original.
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