Singapore ‘elevates’ air force into ‘premier league’ by adding more F-35 stealth fighters, as regional threats grow

Singapore will buy eight more F-35 stealth fighters, eventually replacing its older F-16s, and to complement the 12 F-35Bs it has already ordered

Singapore’s Air Force has noted the growing capability of China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force which has begun flying advanced aircraft such as the J-20B

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An F-35A Lightning II aircraft. Singapore said it will purchase new F-35s to upgrade its fleet. Photo: Reuters

Published: 5:10pm, 1 Mar 2024

Singapore will buy eight more F-35 stealth fighters, eventually replacing its older F-16s and putting the Singaporean air force “in the premier league” as regional threats grow, the city state’s defence minister said this week.

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) would buy F-35As – a larger, longer-range variant of the Lockheed Martin Corp jets – to complement the 12 F-35Bs it has already ordered.

The first F-35Bs will be delivered to Singapore in 2026, Ng said.

The B model is capable of taking off and landing vertically, a crucial part of operating off ships, or in places without traditional runways.

Ng Eng Hen, Singapore’s defence minister, says the country’s air force will be buying new stealth fighters. Photo: Bloomberg

“The F-35As are designed for greater endurance and have the ability to carry payloads of higher capacity,” Ng said in explaining the decision to parliament.

“They complement the F-35Bs, which have short take-off and vertical landing capability.”