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.
Singapore Airlines (SIA) has announced plans to increase flight frequencies and passenger capacity across its network for the 2025 Northern…
Etihad Cargo and Teleport, the logistics arm of AirAsia, have entered into a partnership aimed at increasing cargo capacity and…
SalamAir, Oman’s low-cost airline, has announced the launch of its latest promotion, the "Low Fare Mega Sale," offering discounted fares…
On 13 August 2024, the Düsseldorf-based Rheinmetall Group signed an agreement to acquire all equity interests in Loc Performance Products,…
MRO services provider AAR hosted an internship graduation ceremony on Aug. 8 for the 10 high school students who spent…
The Polish Government has finalised a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) to acquire 96 Boeing…
Korean Air and U.S. defence contractor L3Harris Technologies recently hosted an 'L3 Industry Day' at the Air Force Hotel in…
Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), part of the SATS Group, has secured a five-year licence to manage ramp handling operations at…
Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH (EFW), a joint venture between ST Engineering and Airbus, has been granted Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation (CAMO)…
Walter Cho, Chairman and CEO of Korean Air and Hanjin Group, has been honoured with the top management award by…
airBaltic has placed an order for an additional 10 Airbus A220-300 aircraft, bringing its total order to 90. This marks…
The Israel Ministry of Defense, in collaboration with the Tehkumah Authority, the IDF, and the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council, has…
Virgin Australia has finalised an agreement with Embraer for the purchase of eight E190-E2 small narrowbody aircraft, as part of…
The French Navy's CAMCOPTER S-100 Unmanned Air System (UAS) Squadron was deployed to ensure the security of the waters surrounding…
Air Transport Services Group (ATSG) subsidiary Cargo Aircraft Management (CAM) has leased a Boeing 767-300 converted freighter to New York-based…
Advanced air mobility (AAM) company Volocopter has conducted the world's first electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) flight test within…
Lockheed Martin delivered the first of five C-130J Super Hercules tactical airlifters to the New Zealand Ministry of Defence and…
In June, U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command (USASOAC) awarded Boeing a $115 million contract to produce two more MH-47G…
Scoot, the low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines (SIA),will receive its third and fourth Embraer E190-E2 aircraft in Singapore in September…
Ramiro Alfonsín will assume the role of Chief Commercial Officer, LATAM Airlines Group, from Nov. 7. He was earlier Vice…
U.S. and Netherlandshave formalized a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LoA) agreement to purchase Lockheed Martin’s Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile…
Air India Express has become the first Indian airline to launch a Virtual Interline platform, offering flyers a wider range…
Vard, Norwegian subsidiary of the Fincantieri Group and among the leading companies in the construction of specialized vessels, has signed…
Boeing has delivered the first MH-139A Grey Wolf production aircraft to the U.S. Air Force. The aircraft, part of a…
Embraer has signed an US$ 1 billion syndicated credit agreement for five years. The deal is an extension of a…
Hong Kong's Cathay Group has placed a firm order with Airbus for 30 A330-900 widebody aircraft. The newly-ordered aircraft will…
Türkiye's leading defence company Aselsan has made a significant leap in Defense News' annual “Top 100 Defence Companies List," climbing…
United Aircraft, Shenzhen-based manufacturer of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), is seeking international partners for its tilt-rotor UAV (R6000) that will…
Boeing has handed over the first MH-139A Grey Wolf production helicopter to the U.S. Air Force. This aircraft is part…
Airbus has been selected by the French Space Agency (CNES) to design and construct two next-generation microwave radiometers for the…
Headquartered in Singapore with reporters spread across all major regions, GBP Aerospace & Defence is a leading media house that publishes three publications that serve the aerospace and defence sector - Asian Defence Technology, Asian Airlines & Aerospace and Daily News. Known industry-wide for quality journalism, GBP Aerospace & Defence is present at more international tradeshows and exhibitions than any other competing publication in the region.
For over three decades, our award-winning team of reporters has been producing top-notch content to help readers stay abreast of the latest developements in the field of commercial aviation, MRO, defence, and Space.
Copyright 2024. GBP. All Rights Reserved.
Home Defence & Security Space Commercial Aviation Maintence Repair & Overhaul Daily News Events About Us
2024 GBP all rights reserved.