Singapore Poised To AnnouncePurchase Of 12 F-35Bs

[king of pop]

WASHINGTON: Singapore is
expected to announce sometime in
the next 10 days that it plans to
buy its first squadron --12 planes
-- of some 75 of Lockheed Martin's
F-35Bs, further bolstering what
had been the flagging fortunes of
the world's most expensive
conventional weapon system.
The Singaporeans are extremely shy
about declaring their intentions in
public, eager to offer few chances
for China and Malaysia to react,
but two sources familiar with the
program confirmed the likely
announcement. Given Singapore's
tiny size its choice of which of the
three F-35 versions to buy is not
surprising. A plane that can take
off almost vertically and can land
vertically is able to operate from a
much smaller footprint than, say
the F-35A (the Air Force version)
or F-16 Block 60s. And, given
Singapore's geography, the F-35B
makes great sense for its ability to
operate closely with the US
Marines -- as well as with F-35Cs
operating from our aircraft
carriers.

The Singaporeans decision will
eventually leave China -- and
Russia, still something of a Pacific
power -- facing 50 to 100
Australian F-35As, 42 F-35As in
Japan, 75Bs in Singapore and
however many of the three
versions built and fielded by the
Untied States are regularly in the
Pacific. Then consider the F-35,
which offers the first true
integrated global supply chain for a
major weapon system and offers
highly classified capabilities which
America had previously not made
available to allies. But the
underlying reason for the choice of
Singapore and the other Pacific
countries may be found in the
conclusion of these countries about
the F-35's effectiveness. One senior
official from the region, who has
access to the most sensitive
classified information about the
system, told me recently that the
F-35 is "simply undefeatable." And
this official said the aircraft is
expected to maintain its dominance
for at least one quarter of a
century