Singapore’s RSAF Decides to Fly Like An Eagle

Apr 07, 2013 18:48 UTC by Defense Industry Daily staff

F-15SG, armed
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At the dawn of the 21st century, Singapore decided that it needed a new aircraft to replace its often-upgraded A-4SU Super Skyhawks. This was hardly surprising; John McCain had been flying an older model A-4 Skyhawk when he was shot down during the Vietnam War. The decision to require a twin-engine aircraft eliminated the JAS-39 Gripen and F-16E/F Block 60 from the competition, and the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and Sukhoi Su-30 family were also scratched. That left just 3 finalists: Boeing’s F-15 Strike Eagle, France’s Rafale, and the Eurofighter Typhoon. Limited air-to-ground capabilities and a slow upgrade schedule splashed the Eurofighter, leaving just 2 contenders still flying.

September 2005 releases tapped Boeing as the winner, and the deal was done in December 2005. The order eventually rose to 24 planes, which was good news for Boeing: Singapore’s F-15SGs, and South Korea’s 2 F-15K orders, kept the assembly line open long enough for a huge win in Saudi Arabia, and more orders from Asia. Singapore has legitimate grounds to argue that they currently fly the world’s most advanced version of the F-15 Strike Eagle, and they recently decided to buy more, instead of ordering the short-takeoff F-35B stealth fighter.

The F-15SG

The F-15SG will be an advanced version of the U.S. Air Force’s F-15E Strike Eagle, which adds longer range and a lot of ordnance to the base F-15 air superiority fighter. Singapore’s fighters will add a number of enhancements, making them the world’s most modern Strike Eagles.

Engines. F-15SGs will get the higher-thrust F110-GE-129C engine in place of the Pratt & Whitney F100 engines that power most F-15s, and all of Singapore’s F-16s. Among other things, the decision ensures that F100 engine issues can’t ground every high-end RSAF fighter.

Radar. Singapore became the 1st country after the USA to buy AN/APG-63v3 AESA radars. The new Active electronically Scanned Array technology offers a 2-3x boost in range vs. the older APG-70 on most USAF and foreign Strike Eagles, true simultaneous air and surface capabilities, agile-beam capabilities that make it hard to backtrack the radar source, expandability thanks to new software modes that could include high-bandwidth communications and electronic warfare, 20x better reliability than the APG-70, and low maintenance costs.

The biggest difference between the APG-63v3, and the APG-82v1 AESA derivative that will retrofit American F-15Es, is that the APG-63v3 uses Line Replaceable Unit (LRU) “black boxes”. The entire LRU is swapped out if something goes wrong, and faults must be diagnosed and fixed at maintenance depots. The APG-82 borrows from the Super Hornet’s AN/APG-79 radar design and uses internal diagnostics, coupled with smaller Line Replaceable Module (LRM) “blades” that can be switched out in the field. To date, the APG-63v3 is the most advanced AESA approved for any international F-15 customer.

Sensors: Sniper ATP surveillance & ground targeting pods replace the LANTIRN twin-pod system that still equips a number of Strike Eagles. They turn the F-15SG into a reconnaissance platform, whose day/night cameras can pick out targets as small as individual people from miles away. The pods can also geo-locate what they see with GPS co-ordinates, which can be fed to GPS-guided weapons. If more precision is needed, they can use the laser rangefinder and laser designator to independently target what they find with laser-guided weapons like the AGM-65 Maverick missile, or Paveway bombs.

For aerial fights, Infra-Red Search and Track pods were added to Singapore’s standard equipment list. These pods allow F-15SGs to pick up heat emissions from enemy aircraft at long distances, whether it’s created by engines or by the friction of the air against a fast-moving jet. Unlike radar targeting, IRST is completely passive, and cannot trigger any warning receivers. Since “stealth” aircraft shapes are only stealthy to certain radar frequencies, IRST is also a useful backup weapon against those planes.

Avionics: The avionics are advanced, but not unusual for new fighters. Two items deserve mention, even so.

JHMCS helmet-mounted displays ensure that key information is available no matter where the pilot looks, including targeting cues. That multiplies the effectiveness of modern missiles, whose datalinks and wide seeker radius give them very wide latitude.

MIDS-LVT units give the planes “Link-16″ capability, which means that any enemy seen by one F-15, or by other Link-16 equipped fighters, ground radars, etc., has its location transmitted to all other equipped units via encrypted radio, along with symbols that show friendly units. There are rumors that a number of Israeli electronics and self-defense systems will be part of the F-15SG as well.

Singapore deploys 12 F-15SGs locally as 149 Squadron, at Paya Lebar AB. It has another 12 in the USA at Mountain Home AFB, ID for training as the 428th “Buccaneers” Fighter Squadron.

Contracts and Key Events

Note that some weapon requests and orders aren’t directly traceable to the F-15SGs, since they can also be used by Singapore’s F-16C/Ds. DID doesn’t include those, unless they’re explicitly linked to the F-15s.

March 26/13: More F-15s? AOL Defense is reporting that Singapore will order 12 F-35Bs within 10 days, while others take a more measured tone. Agence France-Presse cite Singaporean sources as saying they’re in the final stages of evaluating the F-35, which tracks with statements by Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen. Even so, the plane’s very incomplete capabilities mean that part of Singapore’s evaluation is just paper and promises at this point. Singapore’s RSIS points out that the country has traditionally been cautious in its defense buys, restricting themselves to proven platforms.

Singapore’s fleet of about 34 upgraded F-5S/T fighters were bought in the 1970s, and they do need replacement. The RSAF’s alternative would be to order more F-15SG Strike Eagles as F-5 replacements, and wait several years before ordering F-35s. The Strike Eagles would cost less at present, and would offer a much wider array of weapons until about 2025 or later. F-35Bs would offer more risk, and would enter service much later than F-15SGs, in exchange for better stealth, and the ability to take off and land from damaged runways. Either way, a DSCA-approved export request would be required before any order can be placed. The most we can expect within 10 days is a State Department announcement. AOL Defence | AFP | Reuters | Eurasia Review.

March 25/10: MIDS-LVT. Data Link Solutions, LLC in Cedar Rapids, IA received a maximum $5.7 million firm-fixed-price, sole-source contract for F-15 aircraft fighter data link system spare parts and installs, on behalf of Foreign Military Sales for Singapore (F-15SG), Japan (F-15J), and Saudi Arabia (F-15 C/D/S). There was originally one proposal solicited with one response, and the contract will run until June 30/11. The Defense Logistics Agency at Warner Robins Air Force Base, GA manages the contract (SPRWA1-10-C-0010).

Nov 20/09: US training. The Republic of Singapore Air Force’s (RSAF) F-15SG detachment is inaugurated at the Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, USA. The detachment was formally established in October 2008 as part of the US Air Force’s (USAF’s) 428th Fighter Squadron, and will operate up to 12 F-15SG fighter aircraft at MHAFB for the next 25 years. The detachment of about 250 RSAF personnel comprises pilots, Weapons System Officers (Fighter) and ground crew. They will undergo air-to-air and air-to-ground training and development programs, and set up a core group of fully qualified F-15SG air and ground crew. They will also participate in USAF exercises to hone their professional skills and enhance their combat readiness.

The RSAF has a number of American locations, including its F-16C/D fighter detachment (PC II) at the Luke Air Force Base, AZ; its CH-47 Chinook helicopter detachment in Grand Prairie, TX; and an AH-64D Apache helicopter detachment in Marana, AZ. Singapore MINDEF | Singapore MINDEF cyberpioneer | Video [Windows Media] | USAF.

Oct 25/07: Engines. GE Aircraft Engines announces that Singapore has selected its F110-GE-129C fighter engine to power the 12 plane follow-on order, as well as the original order. Engine deliveries for the additional aircraft will also begin in 2009.

A switch for the 2nd order would have been very unusual, but it’s a press release opportunity to tout the engine as an option for F-15s, while existing global fleets are pondering refurbishment and/or upgrade programs.

April 20/06: Sensors. Lockheed Martin announces a key ancillary contract that will make a big difference to the F-15SG’s strike capabilities. The 5-year, fixed-price (undisclosed) contract will add advanced electro-optical sensor suites to Singapore’s F-15SGs, and include the sensor suites, spares, training, technical publications and complete logistics support. Deliveries will begin the second quarter of 2007.

The advanced electro-optical sensor suite features a high-resolution, mid-wave, 3rd-generation FLIR; a dual-mode laser; a charge-coupled device television; a laser spot tracker; a laser marker; a terrain following radar; and an IRST system. In more specific terms, the sensor suite includes Sniper/Pantera Advanced Targeting Pods, Tiger Eyes forward-looking infrared systems for targeting and navigation, and an Infrared Search and Track (IRST) system for passive air-to-air detection. See DID coverage.

Feb 23/06: Radar. According to Jane’s Defense Weekly on , the AN/APG-63v3 AESA radar will also be included in Singapore’s F-15SGs. There are rumors that a number of Israeli electronics and self-defense systems, which Singapore uses in other fleet aircraft, will be part of the F-15SGs.

Singapore will have a more advanced aircraft than South Korea, who did not request AESA capability for their F-15K.

Jan 24/06: Engines. GE announces Singapore selection of their F110-GE-129 engines, rated at 29,000 pounds thrust. The GE F110 was developed as an engine alternative to Pratt & Whitney’s original F100, and has since become very popular in F-16s due to its higher thrust. Most of the USAF current F-16 fleet currently flies with GE F110 engines, for instance. Despite extensive US F-15E trials in 1999, however, almost all F-15s worldwide use the P&W F100 engine.

Singapore’s F-15SGs will be the second F-15 aircraft using the F110; the Republic of Korea (ROKAF) selected the engine to power its F-15K Slam Eagle aircraft, and began taking deliveries in October 2005. Al DiLibero, vice president of the F110 program at GE, sees these two recent wins as big plusses. Engines, like airframes, have service lives, and replacement or upgrade programs could well lead to growth possibilities re-engining mature F-15 aircraft already in service with other countries. DID coverage.

Appendix A: The Rafale, the F-15SG and the Global Fighter Market (2005)

The Singapore order is a significant boost for the F-15, keeping the production lines open, and allowing follow-on development of an F-15SE variant with upgraded stealth, tweaked aerodynamics, and the option of internal weapon carriage. The news was less good for France’s Rafale, however, in ways that went beyond this competition alone – and speak to the state and segmentation of the global fighter market.

Dassault’s Rafale had no export orders when Singapore made its choice in December 2005. It remains without a single export order as of March 2010, having lost out in Libya (SU-30), Morocco (F-16C/D), the Netherlands (likely F-35, JAS-39NG Gripen a long shot), Norway (F-35A), Oman (Eurofighter), Saudi Arabia (Eurofghter), Singapore (F-15SG), and South Korea (F-15K Strike Eagle). Discussions are ongoing with the UAE and Kuwait, and the aircraft remains a contender for Brazil’s F-X2 competition and Switzerland’s F-5 replacement program. As of March 2010, only Kuwait can be described as a high probability future sale.

With respect to Singapore’s 2005 decision, a Dassault news release noted that their hopes:

“…failed to materialize. There seem to be two main reasons for this decision:

• the dollar’s current weakness is a definite handicap for the economic competitiveness of the French offer;

• America’s power might [sic] once again bore out the old Chinese proverb: Bamboo always leans the way it’s pushed the hardest”

Actually, if this contract bears out a proverb, it’s more likely to be Charlie Brown’s old adage that “winning isn’t everything, but losing isn’t anything.” In ways that will affect the plane’s future.

Singapore’s relationship with the USA was certainly a strength. It includes complementary weapons and equipment for the F-15s already in stock, joint operations and strategic concerns, and even Singaporean Ch-47 Chinook helicopters and pilots currently flying hurricane relief missions inside the USA. This deepening relationship has been consistently noted by DID as a source of advantage for Boeing. Nevertheless, Singapore has bought major defense platforms from France before, and continues to so.

The Rafale offers superior aerodynamic performance in exchange for shorter range, a less capable radar, precision targeting not yet integrated into the platform, and more weapons integration work. Singapore decided that it didn’t like those trade-offs.

Dassault’s problems run deeper than Singapore, however. The problem is positioning. The Rafale is finding itself squeezed on 3 fronts.

[1] Many nations do not have the funding or the need for an “omni-role fighter” aircraft in the $80+ million range, and are explicitly purchasing light fighters like Lockheed’s F-16 (Poland, Greece, also Turkey, many others); Saab/BAE’s JAS-39 Gripen (Sweden, Czech Republic, Hungary, South Africa); and Dassault’s own Mirage 2000 instead (Taiwan, UAE) in the $30-40 million range – or buying used. For instance, Thailand got Singapore’s older F-16A aircraft when Singapore upgraded to a newer model of F-16. Richard Aboulafia, of the Teal Group, has some harder statistics covering this long-standing global trend.

Singapore, with its long sea lanes and wide potential area of operation, had an immediate need to replace their ancient A-4SU Skyhawks, and a different set of requirements that gave the Rafale an opportunity. To put that need in perspective, Sen. John McCain was flying an A-4 Skyhawk when he was shot down over North Vietnam. It is likely that outside key markets like the Arabian Gulf states, Dassault will find tougher sledding with the Rafale than it did with the lower-budget Mirage 2000.

[2] Among advanced militaries, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter appears poised to become the next F-16. Decisions like MBDA’s announcement that they would adapt their Meteor long-range air-air missile for the F-35 reflect a growing acknowledgment of that reality.

The Joint Strike Fighter will cost about the same or slightly more than the Rafale, but it’s a 5th Generation aircraft, with good stealth designed in, a wide base of international participants (USA, Australia, Britain, Canada, Denmark, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Turkey) and improved capabilities. As the program moves closer to completion, analysts expect that its influence on global procurement decisions will grow stronger and induce many countries to wait instead. The F-35 program’s own delays will create a window, but that window is closing fast, and the F-35B’s status as the sole fighter option for LHD-type amphibious assault ships and small aircraft carriers will give the platform an incontestable entree.

[3] Meanwhile, both the Russian SU-27/30 family (Russia, China, India, Malaysia, Vietnam, several others), and the EADS Eurofighter (Austria, Britain, Italy, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Spain) offer stiff competition and loyal customer bases in the realm of 4+ generation aircraft. The F-15 Strike Eagle is also emerging as a strong modern export competitor in this realm (USA, Israel, Korea, Singapore). Boeing’s decision to finance a stealthier F-15SE design is particularly bad news for Dassault, given the F-15′s compatibility with widely-used American munitions, targeting pods, communications systems, etc.

Singapore’s quality military, leading-edge doctrine, and smart procurement decisions have made them an influential bellwether customer, whose military decisions are seen as a meaningful endorsement in Asia and beyond. Had they selected Dassault’s Rafale over Boeing, it could well have opened doors for that aircraft elsewhere. Instead, the Rafale’s export mission became tougher. Dassault’s bravado concerning global fighter trends and opportunities notwithstanding.

Indeed, continued failure to secure export orders could have real blowback effects into the Rafale program for France.

The Rafale program was always dependent on some level of foreign orders to help finance its ongoing modernization and upgrade plans. If that option continues to fail, France’s budget constraints could leave the Rafale falling steadily behind even its 4+ Generation peers, in a vicious spiral that further crimps export opportunities. In February 2006, eDefense had this bad news for the platform following its Singapore loss:

“With a grand total of 294 aircraft (234 for the French Air Force and 60 for the French Navy) needed to meet current French requirements for the Rafale, and with no export hopes in view, orders for this potent multirole fighter-bomber will have to rely essentially on governmental support at a time when France’s finances are burdened by a rising national debt, according to the French Ministry of Defense (MoD).”

Back when France was still part of the Eurofighter consortium, their rigid insistence on their own specifications and on deciding all work-sharing unilaterally, forced a parting of the ways. While French military needs really were quite specific, the decision has thus far proven to be a very expensive one.

Additional Readings & Sources

Equipment

• Singapore MINDEF – Fact Sheet: The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)’s F-15SG Multi-role Aircraft. Includes JHMCS helmets, which aren’t mentioned in the DSCA requests, but play an important role in aerial combat.

• Singapore MINDEF (February 2006) – Battle-proven bird of prey – the F-15 Eagle. Covers the RSAF’s newest fighter and its equipment.

• GlobalSecurity.org – F-15 Eagle. Includes sub-pages for the F-15′s variants. Covers program history, specifications, and more.

• USAF Fact Sheets – F-15 Eagle

• Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle Official Site

• DID – F-15s Looking for the AESA Edge. Describes the F-15′s various radars, including the AESA options and what makes them so powerful.

• AerospaceWeb.org Aircraft Museum: A-4 Skyhawk

• Air Force Technology – Rafale Multi-Role Combat Fighter, France

• Carlo Kopp, Air Power Australia (August 2000) – Eurofighter Typhoon – Demon or Lemon? His analysis and conclusions explain a great deal re: Singapore’s decision, actually. An extremely informative, thorough analysis that directly compares the Eurofighter with the F-22, F-15, F/A-18, and Su-30 family in many dimensions. Avoids both unwarranted hype and excessive negativity; very fair, fact-based and excellent.

• Airforce-Technology.com – Sukhoi SU-27/30 Family

• F-35 Joint Strike Fighter consortium, Official Site. Singapore is a Security Co-operation Participant in the program, but delivery won’t take place before 2015 and a Skyhawk replacement was needed sooner.

Other News & Developments

• Aviation International News (February 2006) – RSAF’s F-15s shop far and wide for warfighter excellence. Includes some interesting political background, notes the possibility of Israeli equipment, and adds that the F-15SG will use Lockheed’s Sniper XR as its targeting pod.

• Japan Today (Aug 25/05) – Singapore says it is still evaluating U.S., French fighter jets

• DID (Aug 25/05) – F-15E Strike Eagle Taking Off With Singapore Contract? A large US weapons order raises questions.

• Singapore Ministry of Defence (Aug 24/05) – Former Commander of United States Pacific Command Receives Prestigious Military Award. “The Meritorious Service Medal (Military) was awarded to Admiral (Retd) Fargo, who was Commander of the United States Pacific Command from May 2002 to February 2005, in recognition of his outstanding role in fostering closer ties between the United States Pacific Command and the Singapore Armed Forces…”

• St Louis Post Dispatch (July 31/05) – Boeing’s F-15 Tries to Stay Aloft (see also here). Good look at economic impacts, plus likely prospects for the F-15 and F-16 aircraft over the next decade.

• DID (July 20/05) – F-16 Shoots Down Greece’s $6B Eurofighter Order. Light fighter option beats out multi-role aircraft, on a contract once considered near-certain for the Eurofighter. The door is still open in 2009, however… unless Greece decides to match its rival Turkey and go with F-35s as its future.

• DID (June 13/05) – Gripen Offsets Set – But Drooping Sales Leave Workers Gripin’. Layoffs at Saab due to slow sales of the JAS-39 4th generation lightweight fighter.

• DID (May 27/05) – Meteor Missile Will Make Changes to Accommodate F-35

• DID (May 6/05) – $1.1B to Upgrade Turkish F-16 Fleet. Eurofighter option dead, as Turkey is an F-35 program participant. Light fighter option beats out multi-role aircraft now, while 5th generation replacement kills future prospects.

• DID (April 22/05) – Singapore Drops Eurofighter from Critical Contract

• Jane’s Defense Weekly Report (April 21/05) – Eurofighter Typhoon takes a nosedive in Singapore

• Reuters News Report (April 21/05) – Singapore drops Eurofighter from jet bid

• DID (March 23/05) – Turkey considering Eurofighters

• DID (March 7/05) – F-15K’s First Flight Successful

• F-16.NET (Dec. 13/04) – Thailand to Receive Singapore F-16A/Bs. See also this article on the Royal Thai Air Force, whose next major fighter purchase is likely to be… F-16s.

Market Analysis and Background

• Aviation Week & Space Technology (March 1/04) – Fighter Makers Reassess Options. Discusses Singapore’s initial shortlist, adds predictions re: the world fighter market, and notes that Singapore represents the last chance for the two European aircraft to prove themselves through victory in an influential export market before the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter influences buyers (some good comments on the F-35 program, too). Analysis by the Teal Group.

• DID (June 16/05) – Dassault Discusses Global Fighter Market to 2015

• RichardAboulafia.com – December 2001 Newsletter. Good, evidence-backed commentary re: fighter prices and exports.

• Scramble – Republic of Singapore Air Force

• DID (Aug 25/05) – Singapore Brig. Gen. Jimmy Khoo: 8 Reasons Why Network Centric Warfare is Irrelevant. It’s tongue-in-cheek, and smart. Brig. Gen. Khoo is a popular speaker at conferences related to military transformation. See why.

• The Fourth Rail (April 27/05) – Of Pirates and Terrorists. A growing concern around the Straits of Malacca, near Singapore.

• The Joint Center for International and Security Studies (Oct. 2002) – The Information Revolution in Military Affairs: Prospects for Asia: Singapore and the Revolution in Military Affairs [PDF document]

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