Singapore is acquiring eight additional F-35As, expanding its planned fleet of the United States-made fighter jet to 20 to replace its older F-16 aircraft. The upgrades come amid heightened regional security concerns, emphasizing the importance of bolstering the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF).
The F-35A’s technology and stealth capabilities significantly enhance Singapore’s defense posture, experts say.
“The purchase signifies the continued maintenance of, and commitment to, the United States-Singapore partnership, while also upgrading the RSAF’s capabilities,” Thomas Lim, senior analyst with the military studies program at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, told FORUM.
The acquisition also will boost interoperability with other regional allies including Australia and South Korea, fostering military cooperation, Lim said. Such moves are trending across the Indo-Pacific, with “many regional militaries also modernizing their fleets,” he said.
The F-35As are expected to be delivered by 2030, Singaporean Defence Minister Dr. Ng Eng Hen announced. The fighter jets will complement the 12 F-35Bs previously ordered by Singapore. When fully operational, the fleet will place the RSAF in the “premier league,” Ng said in a news release.
Both F-35 variants, which are manufactured by U.S.-based Lockheed Martin, have sensors and communication devices that gather and share information with nearby friendly assets, enhancing situational awareness and survivability.
The F-35B’s lift fan allows the jet to take off from short distances and land vertically, a crucial capability in land-scarce Singapore. The F-35A has a larger payload and fuel capacity, allowing for longer missions.
Singapore and other Southeast Asian nations face maritime security threats including piracy, terrorism, smuggling and illegal fishing, as well as increasingly tense disputes in the South China Sea sparked by the People’s Republic of China’s arbitrary and expansive territorial claims.
Operating both F-35 variants “will allow the RSAF to better meet our range of operational needs in defending Singapore’s skies,” Lt. Col. Zhang Jianwei, head of the RSAF’s Next-Generation Fighter Project Office, said in a news release.
The RSAF’s training program benefits from the use of U.S. airspace and air bases, which underscores the nations’ deepening defense relationship and will ensure that RSAF pilots are proficient in operating the F-35 fleet.
“The investment in advanced military technology not only strengthens our defense capabilities but also boosts our local defense industry through technology transfers and collaborations,” Ng stated.
The military upgrades are expected to generate wider economic benefits.
“The acquisition and the technologies and some of the maintenance technologies [that] will have to come to Singapore in order to support the aircraft … this will, on some level, have a positive impact on Singapore’s economy,” Ja Ian Chong, a political scientist at the National University of Singapore, told FORUM.
