Chitchat [GLGT] Yankees approved peesai F35B jet fighters. GST to be increased to 15%?

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Singapore gets the green light to buy F-35s
By: Valerie Insinna   6 hours ago
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A Marine F-35B joint strike fighter seems to hover over the runway as it descends toward the ground during the first short take-off and vertical landing mission at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Oct. 25. The milestone training mission was flown by Maj. Brendan M. Walsh, of the Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron-501. Walsh recently qualified in vertical landing operations at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., in preparation for this mission. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

WASHINGTON — The U.S. government on Thursday formally approved Singaporeto become the next customer of the F-35 joint strike fighter, paving the way for a future sale.
Last year, Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen announced that the country would submit a letter of request to the U.S. government to purchase four F-35B short takeoff and landing jets, with the intention of a total of 12 B models.
The U.S. State Department endorsement made Jan. 9 would allow Singapore to move ahead with purchasing those jets, at an estimated cost of $2.75 billion, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.
Also included in the proposed deal are up to 13 Pratt & Whitney F135 engines, unspecified electronic warfare and communications systems, training equipment, and the Autonomic Logistics Information System used for mission planning, maintenance and other logistics functions.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States. Singapore is a strategic friend and Major Security Cooperation Partner and an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Asia Pacific region,” DSCA stated in a release.
“This proposed sale of F-35s will augment Singapore's operational aircraft inventory and enhance its air-to-air and air-to-ground self-defense capability, adding to an effective deterrence to defend its borders and contribute to coalition operations with other allied and partner forces.”
Singapore typically buys its fighter aircraft in small batches. If the country moves forward with buying the F-35, it will likely use those jets to begin replacing its fleet of 60 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 52/52+ fighters, and further F-35 orders would be expected.

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A contract with Lockheed Martin would make Singapore the 12th country to buy the F-35, following Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Israel, Italy, Japan , Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States. Canada, a partner of the F-35 program, has not yet committed to buying jets, while Turkey was booted from the program last summer over its decision to field a Russian S-400 air defense system.
Mike Yeo in Melbourne, Australia, contributed to this report.

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[mudhatter]

https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-...p-to-12-f-35b-stealth-fighters/136072.article



USA approves Singapore to buy up to 12 F-35B stealth fighters
By Garrett Reim10 January 2020

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The US State Department approved a possible Foreign Military Sale of up to 12 Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters to Singapore for an estimated $2.75 billion.
The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency says that it notified the US Congress on 9 January.

Source: Raytheon
F-35B Lighting II performs deck landing qualifications on the US Marine Corps USS Wasp
The potential deal would be for an initial package of four aircraft, with the option to buy eight more examples. The announcement was expected as Singapore said in January 2019 that it plans to use a small number of F-35s in an evaluation programme before buying additional jets.
The F-35B is the short-take-off-and-vertical-landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter. A ducted fan that is geared to its main turbine and an exhaust nozzle that rotates downward allow the fighter to take off from shortened or ramped runways, for example on small aircraft carriers. It also can land vertically.
F-35B aircraft have been delivered to the US Marine Corps and the Royal Navy. Italy also is to acquire the F-35B. All three services plan to operate the short-take-off-and-vertical-landing variant from miniature aircraft carriers, as well as austere military bases.
Singapore does not have an aircraft carrier, but could use short-take-off-and-vertical-landing capabilities to fly the F-35B from small, hard-to-find military bases. Quickly concealing aircraft from an attack – possibly on an ally’s aircraft carrier or on a remote island – is an important consideration for the small city state as its air bases are easily reachable by an adversary’s missiles.
“Singapore is a strategic friend and Major Security Cooperation Partner and an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Asia Pacific region,” says the Defense Security Cooperation Agency in its notice. “This proposed sale of F-35s will augment Singapore’s operational aircraft inventory and enhance its air-to-air and air-to-ground self-defence capability, adding to an effective deterrence to defend its borders and contribute to coalition operations with other allied and partner forces.”
The F-35B package approved for sale would contain 13 examples of the Pratt and Whitney F135 turbine, including one spare. Also included are electronic warfare systems; command, control, communication, computers and intelligence, communication, navigation and identification systems; spare parts; test equipment; as well as the aircraft’s Autonomic Logistics Global Support System and Autonomic Logistics Information System.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency adds the notice of the potential F-35B sale does not mean the deal is finalized.

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[laksaboy]

Remember how Lee Hsien Loong mentioned 'climate change' in the ND Rally speech 2019?

The money will come from the various 'green' and 'sustainable' eco-projects in the coming years.