RSAF to acquire eight F-35A fighter jets, growing its fleet

Story by The Straits Times

SINGAPORE – The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) will acquire eight F-35A fighter aircraft, complementing the previously announced purchase of 12 F-35Bs, said Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen.

This comes as the fifth-generation stealth planes have been proven on the battlefield, Dr Ng said during the debate on the Ministry of Defence’s (Mindef) budget on Feb 28.

The eight F-35As will arrive around 2030.

The announcement followed Mindef’s 2023 decision to buy eight F-35Bs, after an initial purchase of four F-35Bs in 2020. The aircraft is made by United States manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

The two F-35 variants have different strengths that will bolster the RSAF’s capabilities, Dr Ng told Parliament.

“The F-35As are designed for greater endurance – they have the ability to carry payloads of higher capacity,” he said.

“They complement the F-35Bs’ short take-off and vertical landing capability... which provides more operational flexibility (in land-scarce Singapore).”

Dr Ng noted that over 900 F-35s have flown in operations around the world that included strikes against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria in the Middle East, and reconnaissance missions to locate and identify surface-to-air missile sites of Russian units in Ukraine.

Its battlefield successes have prompted several more countries, such as Switzerland and Germany, to jump on board the programme, while existing customers such as South Korea, Japan and Britain have placed additional orders.

With close to 2,500 F-35s on order globally, the pipeline is healthy and the price is now more competitive, comparable with Boeing’s F-15, he noted.

While Mindef did not say how much the eight F-35As will cost, figures released by the US indicate that in its latest production lot, each F-35A will cost US$82.5 million (S$111 million), while a single F-35B costs US$109 million.

Dr Ng noted that Mindef and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) may have to deprioritise other projects to buy during this window of opportunity. “But we have done our calculations, and we think this is the best time to put in the order for F-35As,” he said.

When the F-35s become operational, they will put the RSAF “in the premier league”, he added.

Delivery of the first four F-35Bs is expected in 2026, with the other eight in 2028, said Dr Ng.

They will replace the RSAF’s ageing F-16 jets, which have been in service since 1998.

The F-16s have progressively been upgraded with modern sensors and weaponry to keep them operationally ready until the mid-2030s.

Together with the F-15SGs – which attained full operational capability in 2013 – the air force will have a fleet that is capable of performing the full suite of missions required to defend Singapore’s skies, said Dr Ng. “This will be a capable air force, above all, to protect our skies,” he said.

Strengths of the F-35 fifth-generation fighter craft

1. Low-observable stealth: The shape of the aircraft, reduced engine signature and embedded sensors contribute to a unique stealth performance.
2. Network-enabled ops: The F-35 is able to seamlessly share its view of the battlefield with other networked ground, sea and air assets.
3. Sensor suite and fusion: Advanced fusion of various sensors creates an integrated picture of the battlefield, and enables the pilot to track enemy forces and disrupt attacks.
4. Weapons capability: Internal weapon bays mean the F-35 can carry missiles while maintaining stealth, or be outfitted with nearly four times as much firepower if stealth is not needed.