kekekek

Maybe if KFX or TFX I still belip

Look at LCS, one of the issue is the Variation order requested by the company, not approved since PH, PN and now gomen of the day. Believe the technology is too expansive to digest especially on the cost over run. Now this System, doubts the gomen really heading to proceed it.

The amount is too big to digest, hence the company asking for the VO. If for project base, it wont be fair for the company to take it all. Now u see the company asking the gomen to accept their vo cost as they cannot move without the fund. PH, PN both buying time and not approving it but same time attending numerous site visit and agreed principally the project need to move on

are we might be possible witnessing open war in Europe and Asia soon?

Finns going to buy 64 F-35A

I don't think the SAF are buying just 12 in total, that's just their initial buy.

Combat jet aircraft require a lot of maintenance especially something like the F-35 stuffed with stealth and electronics. With 12 aircraft, you'd have very few aircraft available for operations - basically only 2 or 3 at any moment of the day.

lmao

they buy the trainer version for training only. we buy trainer and LCA version for training and combat.

It may not be just 12. Sg typically buys equipment in small batches and it is not known to disclose its military purchases or rather they just dont talk about it and military enthusiasts find out by themselves.

I think they initially bought only 8 f15SGs. Now, it is confirmed that they have at least 40 F15SGs (Boeing gave civilian production numbers to some of them prior to transfer to RSAF - likely because Sg want it that way). But keen observers note that F15Sg serial numbers 8373 and 8378 have been sighted i.e. the ostensible 73rd and 78th F15SGs. My guess is that they have bought 80 F15SGs in total over the years.


RSAF F15SG based in SG^



RSAF F15Sg attached to CONUS@Mountain Home.^

It does add up considering the F15Sgs replaced some (if not all) of the 60+ Super Skyhawks and 49-50 F 5 S/Ts. The remainder will be replaced by F35s which will also replace the F16Vs.

On how many F35s they want, see what they (SG) told the F35 programme office  - up to 100 F35s:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-lock...744095420080707

Thats not what i wrote. The F15Sgs replaced some or all of the Super Skyhawks and F5 S/Ts see my post.

The RSAF also bought 6 MRTTs (so far) to replace 4 KC 135Rs. Connect the dots...more and bigger tankers because of more air frames (now and/or in the future).

because jet is jet, heli is heli; both have different advantages and disadvantages

helis are crazy fragile, as both the USSR and USA have found out. in Afghanistan, the mujahideen shot down Hinds and Hips with machine guns. in Iraq, the USA famously lost dozens of Apaches damaged and some destroyed.

the advantage of combat air support using jets is that they are MUCH less vulnerable, can sometimes react faster, and in some cases carry heavier payloads. consider; an attack helicopter can only carry rocket pods and an autocannon, while combat jets can carry that and/or at least a couple of heavy bombs that can hit harder than anything a helicopter can do

case in point:

Likely 80 F15Sg + > 80 F35A/Bs by early 2030s.

They were operating 60+ Super Skyhawks + 49-50 F5 S/Ts + 70 F16s before they started retiring the older air frames from 2000.

RSAF is in transition.

Sgs style is to upgrade and then replace. So I would expect the F15SGs to be upgraded to maybe EX standard. It is not a major upgrade as the F15SG is already a 4.5 gen jet equipped with AESA and some of the latest EW systems.

Many f35 purchasers buy an initial small lot before commiting to a bigger purchase. In Sgs case, they do in fact buy in batches - likely a policy decision to make defence purchases palatable to neighbours. Anyway, it works if the goods arrive in the time frame they want. More F35s will be built in the coming years than typhoons + rafales + suks + migs combined. Not a prob for Sg to get say 80 to 100 F35s by early 2030s. Note: they will retire the F16Vs by that period.

My sense is that they will follow Japan i.e. buy a mix of As and Bs. They do not need to test the As - they can get inputs from Israel and Australia. But their only reference point for Bs is the US marines so thats why they bought the 12 f35bs initially.

you first asked about heli mah

answer is higher operating costs I think. two engines will always be more expensive than one, and multi-role that can do both missions effectively will usually be more expensive than single-role, especially a single-role cheap aircraft like the M346 or Hawk.

it's a ladder of cost vs effectiveness in the "mud-mover" role: Tucano < Hawk < F-16 < F-15E, for example. how far we want to be on the ladder... depends.

the AF is only buying 18 rn. whatever come after that just possibility.maybe we buy 60, maybe only 18

Also, you didn't know but within malaysia's context, we still need something that's cheap enough to operate but capable enough to not simply be aerial target. Before the AF retire its MiG-29N/NUB fleet, the af big boss said that the cost to fly them stands at around 75 million usd per year. simply for a plane that's used for interception and cap. With FA-50 cost per flying hour being quoted at around 2500/hour, that means we can have them fly all the time while keeping our actual hard hitting assets fresh and ready at moment notice.

Even countries like Taiwan with defence budget much higher than ours are looking for something along the line of FA-50 simply to deal with tongshan shenanigans, with their top of the line Mirage 2000-5 quoted to cost them close to usd30k/hour to fly and it's expensive to intercept plaaf intrusion on regular basis, something we will have do deal with in the future

Get 2 squadrons T-50/FA-50 for cap and air interception, and station one of them in S&s on permanent basis. Get kuwaiti hornet (preferably all of them tho at least complete our hornet fleet to a full strengh squadron) and upgrade them to 25x, sell off the migs to fund these two. Then we worry about which 5th gen fighter we should get

Im trying to explain to you that they buy stuffs in batches and offered a plausible explanation.

They renew and replace their equipment as needed. They do have the $$$$ 2 do that.

The F35s will be bought in batches and introduced in batches from 2026 onwards. The F16Vs meanwhile will be drawn down in early 2030s. Thats the plan.

Oh stop being silly. This is 2021. Theyve got many years to make orders so that they can have up to 100 F35s by early 2030s.

I dont know what youre going on abt. Their F16s, upgraded to F16vs, are at the end of their lifespan. And no; many countries buying more f35s 2 like israel and australia. As far as i know, Sg has no mutual defence treaty with anyone!. FPDA is consultative. Not going to bother abt ur other fantasy on trade.

Singapore's defence budget expected to hit $18.57 billion (between USD $13.7 to 14 billion) in 2026

A new report has said that Singapore is expected to spend $18.57 billion on defence by 2026, up from $15.23 billion in 2021.

The spending will be driven by factors as diverse as terrorism threats to sustaining its large overseas military training presence such as those in Australia. 

This represents an expected Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.6 per cent, up from its current figure of 2.58 per cent, according to the report published by London-based data analytics and consulting firm GlobalData.

The report also “offers detailed analysis of Singapore defense market with market size forecasts covering the next five years”, and analyzes factors that influence demand for the industry, key market trends, and challenges faced by industry participants.

Located at the southern tip of the Malay peninsula, Singapore is strategically located at a vital maritime chokepoint that is traversed by a significant amount of the world’s seaborne trade.

The prosperous island nation, with a population just short of 6 million people, is highly dependent on the maritime trade which uses its port as a transhipment point, however it has almost no strategic depth to speak of, measuring just under 300 square kilometres in size with its widest point being less than 50 kilometres from one end to the other.  

Key acquisition programs currently being undertaken by the southeast Asian island nation include the Lockheed-Martin F35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, indigenous ST Engineering Land Systems Hunter Next-Generation AFV, and the Invincible-class Submarine (Type 218SG) diesel-electric attack submarines being built by Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS).

Singapore is also introducing the European MBDA Aster 30 ground-based air defence system into service, integrated into its bespoke integrated Island Air Defence System (IADS). It is also introducing the Boeing CH-47F Chinook and Airbus H225M transport helicopters into service, replacing earlier versions of both types (CH-47D/SD Chinook and AS332M/M-1 Super Pumas) in the Republic of Singapore Air Force.

In addition, Singapore also has other acquisition projects in the pipeline. It will seek new Joint Multi-Mission Ships (JMMS) to complement and/or replace its four Endurance class Landing Platform Docks. This is likely to be a through deck ship, with Singapore having previously said it will require the JMMS to operate more helicopters and possess improved air traffic control capabilities compared to the Endurance-class.

Singapore’s navy is also seeking a new Multi-Role Combat Vessel (MRCV) to replace its six 62m Victory-class missile corvettes. These will be larger vessels than their predecessors, and in addition to being armed with anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles, are envisaged to act as motherships to a host of unmanned surface, underwater, and aerial vehicles and able to fulfill a variety of mission sets.

The JMMS and MRCVs are almost certainly to be built in Singapore by local defence contractor ST Engineering Marine Systems although substantial input from foreign contractors to assist in the design of vital subsystems is likely to be required. A recent example are eight Littoral Mission Vessels (LMV) currently being commissioned into the Republic of Singapore Navy, with Saab having a hand in the design of the integrated bridge and mast.

Singapore’s army is also seeking a wheeled 155mm self-propelled howitzer to replace the last towed howitzers in its inventory, and will complement the Primus tracked howitzers, rapid firing self-propelled 120mm mortars and HIMARS guided artillery rockets. Like the two former systems, the new wheeled howitzer will also likely be a homegrown design by ST Engineering’s Land Systems division. 

Other likely acquisitions will be replacements for the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s fleet of ten Lockheed-Martin C-130B/H Hercules transports and nine Fokker 50 light transports and Enforcer 2 Maritime Patrol Aircraft. The oldest of the C-130 fleet has gone past six decades in service with the older B models limited to local training missions, although Singapore has not publicised an intention to replace these.

An increasingly complex regional defence picture is also driving many of Singapore’s defence acquisitions, with conventional arms and defence Research and Development (R&D) featuring prominently in its defence budget.

It’s Defence Science and Technology Agency is investing in research in bespoke areas that suit Singapore’s unique environment. This includes emphasis on unmanned systems and reduced crewing requirements, with Singapore being the first customer and assisting in the testing and certification for Automatic Air-to-Air Refuelling in the Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT), which among other things, reduces the aerial refuelling officers’ cognitive workload. 

It has also worked with Airbus to develop a unique boom control law for the MRTT unique for the Boeing F-15 Eagle, and has developed a command and control information system that uses Artificial Intelligence to assist in determining priority for time-sensitive targets in cluttered urban environment and can determine how best to engage a target to ensure a better success rate with lower risk of civilian casualties.

https://www.australiandefence.com.au/defenc...e-market-growth

Mai's note: Nothing new here. Covid may have slowed the budget growth a bit. But it is clear Sg's defence budget will reach $ USD15 billion by end 2020s. Also, we need to note that Sg doesnt borrow 2 spend. And yet make surpluses or have balanced budgets most of the time so they can sustain the military budget indefinitely.

Oh bummer! Now I remember you! Too many crazies here.

Btw, your math fail.  By the time the RSAF F16s are retired, many will be reaching 30 years of operation. They bought F16s in batches and delivered* from 1994 to 2004.

Who are the heck are - everyone else are busy with their 6th gen planes. Apart from the US, the rest are struggling to even fund 5th gen planes.

Actually, I have never wrote that the F16Vs (tail serial numbers indicate that they have bought about 90-100 F16s - see my previous post which corresponds with how many
F35s they want i.e. up to 100. Also see tail numbers for F15SGs...now at 70-80 aircrafts) are going to be retired as soon as they are upgraded. I said that they will be withdrawn in the early 2030s (Sg's Menhan actually said 2030). This will be the time when the last of the purchased F35s reach IOC.

It is 2021-22 now. 2030 is some 9 to 10 years down the road. That is why I said that there is something wrong with you.
As for Sg's growth rate, a developed economy should not grow so much - 2% to 3% is fine. But fyi, SG will grow >7% this year and about >5% next year:

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/si...ast-mti-2334551

But what is more important than basic comparison of GDP or GDP per cap is basically money and surpluses. SG simply has the money to sustain and increase its defence budget because it is making money and has tons of it.

SG's 2021 defence budget:

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-det...et%20of%20SGD13.