RSAF F-15SG fighter jets to take part in air combat training with US F-35As

SINGAPORE: The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) will take part in a training exercise with United States F-35As, fighter jets that Singapore announced this week it was acquiring.

On Wednesday (Feb 28), Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said Singapore will buy eight F-35A jets, adding to an existing order of the plane's "B" variant. This will bring the RSAF's F-35 eventual fleet size to 20.

"The training will be conducted in the southern reaches of the South China Sea, within international airspace," said Singapore's Defence Ministry (MINDEF) on Friday.

Eight United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) F-35A fighter jets will be in Singapore from Mar 1 to Mar 7 for a stopover before heading to Korat, Thailand, where they will take part in Exercise Cope Tiger 2024, alongside the air forces of Singapore and Thailand.

"During the stopover, the F-35As will conduct Dissimilar Air Combat Training (DACT) with the RSAF’s F-15SG aircraft," said MINDEF, using the term for training exercises between two different types of aircraft.

The exercise will also involve air-to-air refuelling drills with the RSAF's A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport.

MINDEF said the training was a "valuable opportunity" for RSAF personnel to train alongside F-35A aircrew and ground crew, and to "learn from other experienced F-35 operators to support our own F-35 acquisition and operationalisation journey".

The F-35 will form part of Singapore's "next generation" defence force. Four F-35Bs are due to be delivered by 2026, with another eight due by 2028. The recently announced eight F-35As are expected to be delivered around 2030.

The plane, made by US defence firm Lockheed Martin, is a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet. The "A" variant has a greater payload than its "B" cousin, which has the ability to take off from short distances and land vertically.