Page 18 - ADT MARCH 2021 Online Magazine

offerings to meet the nation’s strategic defence

Raytheon Technologies presence in Singapore
and the surrounding region, Asian Defence
Technology was afforded an exclusive inter-
action with Jeff Shockey, Senior Vice President,
Global Government Relations at Raytheon
Technologies on the sidelines of the recently
concluded Singapore Airshow.

Capability Driver
The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)
is the only air arm in SE Asia to have ordered
the F-35 5th gen fighter jet and deliveries are
to start in 2026. Singapore opted for the F-35B
as its next generation fighter jet in 2019 but
had been a participant in the F-35 programme
as early as 2003, as a ‘Security Cooperation
Participant’. Singapore has received U.S.
approval for purchase of up to 12 F-35B Short
Take-Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) aircraft
and related equipment at an estimated cost
of US$2.75 billion. The RSAF also operates
Powering approximately 60 F-16C/D Block 52 and F-16D
needs. To gain a deeper understanding of [ INTERVIEW RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES ]
Block 52+ and 24 F-15SG fighters and all these
aircraft feature significant contributions from
Raytheon Technologies.

Singapore is keen to be at the cutting edge
Ahead and in the forefront of technological devel-
opment and R&D, in addition to being a good
regional security partner, it is making invest-
ments towards these objectives, Shockey said,
“They are going to be an F-35 partner country.
We're proud of that as the provider for the F-135
engine, as well as a lot of the other systems and
SINGAPORE’S INSISTENCE ON ACQUIRING weapons systems on the platform.”
THE LATEST DEFENCE TECH AND BUSINESS
FRIENDLY POLICIES HAVE DRIVEN RAYTHEON Pratt & Whitney’s F135 engine delivers more
than 40,000 pounds of thrust on the F-35,
TECHNOLOGIES' GROWTH IN THE ISLAND providing a step change in capability over
NATION older fourth-generation engines, along with a
low-observable signature, cutting-edge thermal
management and an advanced engine control
Atul Chandra system. The F-135 engine is said to be practi-
cally invisible to radar due its unique geometry
Raytheon Technologies is looking to further expand its presence and special stealth coatings. The F-135 engines
in Singapore, where its workforce of nearly 4000 employees, is on Singapore’s STOVL F-35s will feature the
nearly 1/4th its entire strength of approximately 16,000 employees Rolls-Royce-produced LiftSystem, which con-
in the region. Raytheon Technologies’ businesses produce engines sists of a lift fan, driveshaft, roll posts, and three
and other parts for narrow-body planes; perform MRO work for ‘Bearing Swivel Modules’ that allow the nozzle
commercial and military aircraft and supplies a host of technolo- to tilt down 90 degrees. The engine is fitted
gies to connect the aviation ecosystem and multiple systems on with an adaptive control system that allows pilot
the F-35 fighter jet. to switch between hover and conventional flight
at the push of a button. The AMRAAM, AIM-9x,
Singapore’s insistence on acquiring the latest defence technologies Sidewinder, JSM missiles, as well as the glid-
for its armed forces has provided an opportunity for Raytheon ing Stormbreaker smart weapon (which has a
Technologies to further grow its products, systems and services range of approximately 64km) on the F-35 are

18 | March 2022 WWW .GBP .COM.SG/ ADT