US approves $2.3bn sale of torpedoes, air defences, aircraft to Singapore | Weapons News

Singapore’s Defense Ministry plans to replace its fleet of Fokker 50 maritime patrol aircraft with Boeing-made P-8A reconnaissance aircraft.

The United States has approved a $2.3 billion arms sale to Singapore that includes P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft, lightweight torpedoes and air defense systems.

The State Department informed the US Congress about the sale on Wednesday, according to a statement on the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) website.

The DSCA said the proposed sale would allow Singapore to “respond to current and future threats by providing a credible maritime force capable of deterring adversaries and participating in U.S. allied operations”.

The statement further said, “This proposed sale will advance the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a strategic partner that is a vital force for political stability and economic progress in Asia.”

Ian Chong, a political scientist, told Al Jazeera that the patrol planes are used to protect Singapore’s “extended sea lanes of communication and its very busy waterways” in Southeast Asia.

According to the Defense Ministry, the acquisition of four Boeing P-8A aircraft is part of Singapore’s long-term plan to replace its aging fleet of Fokker 50 maritime patrol aircraft.

Singapore’s Defense Minister Chan Chun Sing announced plans to buy American aircraft in September after meeting with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon.

According to the State Department, the United States has active government-to-government sales with Singapore worth $8.38 billion, ranging from munitions to F-35 fighter jets.

Singapore is scheduled to receive the first aircraft of its outstanding order of 20 F-35s later this year, according to the Defense Ministry.

The US and Singapore cooperate on a number of security issues, and their militaries regularly conduct joint training exercises.