Page 42 - ADT MAY / JULY 2024 Digital Magazine | GBP

military hardware, with more acqui- Master trainer/light attack jets. Thailand remains the only
sitions on the horizon. In 2015, the Southeast Asian country still
acquisition of the first FA-50PH Singapore is also set to become using the F-5E/F Tiger II fighters.
trainer/light fighter aircraft from the sole Southeast Asian nation Fourteen of these aircraft have
South Korea ended a ten-year equipped with 5th generation jet been upgraded to the F-5E/F TH
period of the Philippine Air Force fighters for the foreseeable future. “Super Tigris’’ standard with assis-
(PAF) without any fast combat In 2020, the country initially ordered tance from Israel.
aircraft. Currently, twelve FA-50PH four F-35B Lightning II aircraft - the
aircraft are actively serving with the short take-off and vertical landing Following the United States’ refusal
PAF. (STOVL) variant of the F-35 series. to sell F-35 stealth jets to Thailand
The order was later expanded by in 2023, the RTAF is now consid-
However, the Philippines still needs eight more F-35Bs in 2023, bring- ering the acquisition of either the
to strengthen its air force further ing the total to 12, with deliveries latest variant of Gripen jets - the
by acquiring more dedicated multi- scheduled to begin in 2029. JAS-39E/F - from Sweden or the
role jet fighters. After deliberating most advanced variant of the
between Sweden’s JAS-39C/D and Fighting Falcon jets, known as the
the United States’ F-16C/D, the PAF In February 2024, the Singapore F-16 Block 70/72. However, it is
appears to have decided to procure Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) important to note that the RTAF
14 Swedish-made jets. Following announced an additional contract plans to retire its current fleet of
this decision, the service is also for eight conventional take-off and combat jets, with the exception of
considering placing an additional landing (CTOL) F-35A aircraft, the JAS-39C/D fighters, between
order for the FA-50PH as well as resulting in a total order of 20 F-35 2028 and 2031.
contemplating the potential procure- series aircraft for Singapore.
ment of the KF-21 Boramae for its Vietnam:
next-generation fighter programme. Thailand:
The Russian invasion of Ukraine
Singapore: The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has also impacted this Southeast
currently has a fleet of jet-pro- Asian nation, as all the main
The Republic of Singapore Air pelled combat aircraft that includes combat aircraft types of the Vietnam
Force (RSAF) exclusively operates 50 F-16A/B Fighting Falcons, 33 People’s Air Force (VPAF) are
the F-15E variant, known as the F-5E/F Tiger IIs from the United sourced from Russia. Reports
F-15SG multirole fighter, with 40 States, and 11 JAS-39C/D Gripens indicate that the service’s 33 Su-22
currently in service. Additionally, from Sweden. Additionally, the ground attack aircraft, as well as its
the RSAF maintains a fleet of 59 RTAF operates 18 Dornier Alpha Su-27 and Su-30 fighter/multirole
F-16C/D aircraft. The RSAF’s inven- Jet trainer/light attack aircraft from combat jets - numbered around
tory also includes 12 Alenia M-346 Germany. 45 in all - are increasingly difficult
to maintain due to their age and
issues with spare parts.

In 2021, VPAF signed a contract
to acquire 12 US-made turboprop
T-6 Texan II trainers to replace its
old radial piston Yak-52 aircraft.
This move could pave the way for
the future acquisition of Western-
made combat jets like the F-16, as
reported in 2023.

What has materialised is the coun-
try’s order of 36 L-39NG aircraft
from the Czech Republic in 2021,
in which 24 have been delivered to
date to strengthen VPAF’s fleet of
advanced trainer and light combat
jets together with 12 Russian-made
Yak-130 aircraft already in service..

42 | MAY - JULY 2024 WWW.GBP.COM.SG/ADT