Home Air Singapore cleared to buy up to 12 F-35B jets

Singapore cleared to buy up to 12 F-35B jets

US Navy file photo of a UK F-35B Lightning fighter jet

The US State Department has approved a possible sale of up to twelve F-35B Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) aircraft and related equipment to Singapore.

Should the agreement be realized, the deal would be worth an estimated $2.7 billion.

Pentagon’s approval comes after Singapore submitted a purchase request in April last year. The country would initially buy four units with options for eight more should the deal go through.

The approved sale includes electronic warfare systems; command, control, communication, computers and intelligence/communication, navigation and identification (C4I/CNI) system, F-35 unique infrared flares and other related equipment and training services.

Singapore would become the fourth country in Asia Pacific to procure a version of the F-35 aircraft after Australia, Japan and South Korea. It is also becoming the 12th country in the world to buy the fifth-generation aircraft.