Friday, May 30, 2008
Singapore to own 20 of these!
SINGAPORE signed a contract on Monday, Dec 12, to buy 12 US-made Boeing F-15 fighter jets, the defence ministry said, marking a further upgrade for Southeast Asia's most modern military arsenal.
"The 12 F-15SG are expected to be delivered in 2008/09," a ministry statement said.
The contract also provides an option for the acquisition of another eight aircraft at a future date, it said.
A ministry spokeswoman declined to reveal the cost of the deal but industry analysts have said it would be worth about US$1 billion.
Singapore announced in September that it was in talks with Boeing to buy the F-15 Eagle instead of the Rafale, the pride of Dassault Aviation of France.
The Rafale and F-15 were in a dogfight after the Eurofighter Typhoon was knocked out of the running for new fighters to replace a squadron of aging A-4SU Super Skyhawks, upgrades of US-made aircraft first bought in the 1970s.
The defence ministry said the aircraft to be purchased "will be the most advanced variant of the F-15 and will operate as the Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF) next generation multi-role fighter jet."
It said the fighters "will significantly enhance the capabilities and operational readiness of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF)."
Analysts said the deal came as no surprise.
"The real question is whether they'll be buying more F-15s after this first 20," Robert Karniol, Asia-Pacific editor of the military affairs journal Jane's Defence Weekly, said from Bangkok.
"Basically their requirements will determine it."
Assistant professor Bernard Loo Fook Weng, a military analyst in Singapore, said the Singapore Armed Forces have almost always bought US-made combat aircraft, and the F-15 is combat-proven.
None has ever been brought down in action, he said.
"I don't really see this as part of an arms race," said Loo, of the Nanyang Technological University. "First of all, it's something that's been on the agenda for a very, very long time."
Singapore was one of the few countries still flying A-4s, Loo said, and the fleet of about 40 planes is "pretty antiquated".
Tim Huxley, senior fellow for Asia Pacific security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, said he did not foresee any strong regional reaction to the purchase.
"The way to look at it is that other regional countries including Malaysia and Indonesia have also been modernising their air forces, so they will understand how important it is to modernise their air power," Huxley said.
The wealthy city-state's choice of fighter was keenly awaited in the world arms industry because Singapore is regarded as a picky buyer whose rigorous selection process influences other countries' decisions.
Singapore also operates F-16 Fighting Falcons and F-5 Tigers, both US-made.
The city-state has been spending around six percent of gross domestic product annually on defence, a legacy of its vulnerable early days as a republic.
In the fiscal year to March 2006, its defence budget was S$9.26 billion (US$5.5 billion), up 7.4 percent from a year ago and accounting for almost a third of the national budget.
On Friday Singapore launched the fourth of six "stealth" frigates being built as part of a naval upgrade.
Because of its limited land area and air space, Singapore has to station some of its air assets in friendly countries including the United States for training. Loo said the bulk of the new F-15s would also be US-based.
Labels: f15 f-15 eagle US air craft boeing mcdonnell douglas dassault rafale
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