SHAH ALAM: Singapore cleared to buy 12 F-35Bs. The US State Department on Jan.9 announced the possible sale of 12 Lockheed Martin F-35Bs to Singapore, of about $2.75 billion (RM11.2 billion).
The State Department’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced the possible in a notification to the US Congress, which will need to approve the sale. The deal include up to 12 F-35 Bs – four initially, with an option for another eight and 13 F135 engines, along with electronic warfare systems, the Autonomic Logistics Information System, training systems, software development, personnel training, among others. The four aircraft will be based in the US, at an airbase, the location of which yet to be announced
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States,” DSCA said in a statement. “Singapore is a strategic friend and Major Security Cooperation Partner and an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Asia-Pacific region.”
It must be noted that the sale has yet to take place but as most of you are aware, Singapore has been looking to buy the F-35s for a decade now and this is the latest step towards signing the deal. As the F-35s are more expensive than the F-16s, the talk is that Singapore will not be replacing their Vipers on one to one basis. That said we will have to see what the future will bring.
Once the sale is completed, Singapore will be the first country in Southeast Asia to put a stealth fighter into service. It will be joining Australia, Japan and South Korea as the Asia Pacific operators of the Lightning II. It will be the first F-35B STOVL operator in Asia though as the others are operating the A variant of the F-35.
Japan is reported to be interested in the B variant of the F-35 as well though it has not contracted any aircraft for the moment. The F-35Bs of the USMC were involved in an exercise in Sabah, in August, 2018.
— Malaysian Defence
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View Comments (95)
Well okay, should we panic now? lol..
This is basically a confirmation of what has been speculated all along. Singapore was interested in the STOVL capability of the F-35B.
With a DSCA notification this early, it looks like Singapore will be likely to get its F-35B before 2025.
Things to look for after this is whether singapore will acquire its own large LPD ship to host the F-35B. This will also make the HMS Queen Elizabeth deployment in South China Sea next year a bit more interesting to follow.
Now singapore has started the ball rolling for stealth fighters in south east asia. Next would be Indonesia with its K-FX/I-FX. As of malaysia, we will be busy with LCA up till 2030. In 2030 we will be surrounded by nations fielding stealth fighters while we barely completes replacing our hawks and MB339s.
Now on to the cost. As you can see, 12 F-35Bs (which is the most expensive version of the F-35) costs about USD2.75 billion. That is about 1.5 times of the total development budget of TUDM for 5 year rancangan malaysia plans! If we struggle to get budgets for LCA and MPA, and complain that the operating cost of submarines is RM100 million per year, then we can forget about stealth fighters, and start practicing on how to wave the white flag.
“Things to look for after this is whether singapore will acquire its own large LPD ship to host the F-35B.”
There will be two JMMS vessels as outlined in the SAF 2030 announcement a few years back.
Don't panic please,but we must improve our own hardware and software with our own little budget, whether like it or not.
Owning an F35 squadron required billions of RM and RMAF might looking other options.
@ morpoyos
So what do you think other options that we can take?
Meanwhile we are still hemming and hawwing about the MD530s and M109s.
Don't want too much for now but I hope RMAF can get at least 10 F-18 Hornet from Kuwait or Aussie in 2020 - 2022.
The Singapore Minister of Defence had in fact just announced that Singapore could be getting new LPDs . Ostensibly its for heli . At least 6 heli. For the purpose of command n control n for humanitarian gunctions. But media also mentioned that the F35Bs can use such LPDs too just like the marine. So with the new LPDs Singapore will be the only nation with a naval strike capability
Add more MKM.
@...
Money is the big issue here. No money no fighter jets. Maybe MOF can start saving to buy what RMAF wants. When the special tabung achieves at least RM10 billions in 1 to 3 years and fighters jets more matured we can have better options then now. Just my dua kupang view. It is good to see RMAF gets new toys in future. But money from the special tabung must use to buy fighter jets and not another thing.