Singapore to Buy Eight More F-35B Fighters From Lockheed Martin

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March 1, 2023
Singapore to Buy Eight More F-35B Fighters From Lockheed Martin
Singapore’s Ministry of Defence has exercised an option to acquire eight additional F-35B Lightning II Fighter multirole combat aircraft from Lockheed Martin.The update builds on a contract signed in 2020 for 12 F-35Bs to be delivered by the end of the decade for the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF).

Gaining Confidence in the F-35In 2022, the RSAF flew alongside F-35s during an air combat exercise in Australia to gain more information on the aircraft.“These experiences provided information for the RSAF and DSTA project team to study the aircraft’s operational capabilities and its ability to integrate with the Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF’s) warfighting systems,” DSTA Air Systems director Ang Jer Meng explained.“All of these have given us valuable insights (on the F-35Bs). [Singapore’s Ministry of Defence] and the SAF have concluded that the F-35 is the best choice to meet our defence needs now and in the future,” Singaporean Defence Minister Ng En Hen said.Once delivered, RSAF’s future F-35B fleet will replace the service’s F-16 Fighting Falcons, which have been in service since 1998 and will reach retirement in the mid-2030s.
https://www.thedefensepost.com/2023/03/01/singapore-eight-f35b-lockheed-martin/