Singapore is in the final stages of acquiring four next-generation stealth fighter jets, which are scheduled to be delivered around 2026, said Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen yesterday.
He told the House that the United States government and Congress have approved the sale of four F-35s, with an option for Singapore to purchase eight more.
When the F-35 Joint Strike Fighters are delivered, they will be deployed in the US for training and in-depth evaluation, he added.
The F-35s are to replace the Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF) ageing fleet of F-16s, which face obsolescence beyond 2030.
Speaking during the debate on his ministry's budget, Dr Ng said Singapore has decided on the "B" variant of the aircraft, which can take off from a shorter runway and land vertically - "an important feature in land-scarce Singapore".
Responding to Workers' Party chairman Sylvia Lim (Aljunied GRC) on the problems the F-35 programme has faced, Dr Ng said the new planes will be evaluated fully - this will include cost and maintenance issues - before the Ministry of Defence commits to a full fleet.
Giving an update on training areas, he noted that for each Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) unit, effective training makes the "decisive difference".
"In an uncertain landscape, we must raise, train and sustain units within the SAF to deal with both conventional and unconventional threats," he added.
Dr Ng said the facilities being developed in Shoalwater Bay and Greenvale, under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Australia, have made significant progress and will provide best-of-class training facilities.
An ammunition storage building was completed last year, and combined arms air-land ranges are now being developed for the army and the air force to train together with tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, drones, artillery and other platforms.
An urban operations live-firing facility for air and combined arms live firing in an urban environment will also be built.
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