Singapore Announces F-15SG Contract
Related Stories: Asia - Other, Avionics, Boeing, Contracts - Awards, Fighters & Attack
DID has covered Singapore’s bellwether fighter competition over the last year, from the Eurofighter’s elimination, to Singapore’s conditional order of accompanying American weapons and services for the F-15. DID also covered the announcement that the F-15E Strike Eagle had beaten France’s Rafale, adding some analysis of the award’s impact on the global fighter market and where Singapore’s order fit within that market’s stratification. That last link will also contain any further updates regarding the deal.
Now Boeing and Singapore’s MINDEF have announced that a contract has been formally signed to produce 12 F-15SG aircraft. The F-15SG will be an advanced version of the U.S. Air Force’s F-15E Strike Eagle, with minor customization to Singapore’s specifications and the most up-to-date avionics available. According to Jane’s Defense Weekly on February 23, 2006, the AN/APG-63v3 AESA radar will also be included, and there are rumours that a number of Israeli electronics and self-defense systems will be part of the F-15SG as well. To power its fighters, Singapore has selected the more powerful GE F110 engine used in many F-16s, as opposed to Pratt & Whitney’s F100 that powers some F-16s and most F-15s.
The result is an package that gives Singapore reasonable grounds to argue that it is flying the world’s most advanced version of the F-15 Strike Eagle.
All 12 aircraft will be delivered in 2008-2009, and Singapore has an option for 8 more planes. Amounts were not disclosed, but previous reports have placed the contract value at around $1 billion exclusive of options. As DID has noted, an associated weapons and services request could be worth another $741 million if all options are exercised.
Boeing has produced more than 1,500 F-15s during the past three decades. In addition to the USA, Israel, Korea, Japan, and Saudi Arabia operate F-15 fleets. The two-seat Strike Eagle variants, which add significant capabilities in the ground attack and precision strike role, are in use in the USA, Israel, Korea, and now Singapore.
