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| Southeast Asia |
| The Biggest Little Air Force in the World |
| 2005-02-24 |
| February 24, 2005: Singapore has built one of the most powerful air forces in the world. This is to be expected, due to the highly educated population and the fact that air power is a huge equalizer. Singapore's air force is huge for a country of its size and population (four million people). Well over a hundred combat aircraft are in service, and consist of a mixture of modern fighters, and older planes with the latest upgrades. Singapore also has acquired capabilities that few other countries in the region have. The most numerous fighter plane in Singapore's inventory is the A-4SU Super Skyhawk. This is not your father's Skyhawk. The aircraft have new engines (a non-afterburning version of the F404 used on the F/A-18), and modern avionics, to include a Marconi HUD, a multi-function display, and a new inertial navigation system. This is the fastest (1128 kilometers per hour) and Skyhawk that has ever flown. Sixty-four of these aircraft are in service in three squadrons. Singapore has also upgraded its force of 42 F-5E/F Tigers. These new planes, now called the F-5S/T, with a new Grifo F/X Plus radar (also used on Taiwan's F-5Es), HOTAS controls (Hands On Stick And Throttle), two multifunction displays, and two extra missile pylons. These Tigers will be potent complements to Singapore's best fighters. Singapore's best fighters in service are their force of 26 F-16C and 36 F-16Ds. These Block 52 aircraft are virtually identical to the versions in U.S. service. The major difference has been reluctance on the part of the United States to ship AMRAAMs to the region. These F-16s have reportedly received the Python 4 infra-red homing missile from Israel (which has also supplied the Gabriel), and some of the F-16Ds reportedly have the same dorsal "hump" that Israeli F-16s also carry. Singapore's F-16s are also equipped with the Harpoon anti-ship missiles. Singapore also has acquired a total of twenty AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopters. Currently based in the United States, they will eventually provide superb capabilities for Singapore in a variety of roles (depending on which versions of Hellfire are purchased). Singapore also is acquiring CH-47D Chinooks for search-and-rescue and as troop carriers. Nine are already in service, with plans to reach a total of twelve. Singapore has an option for four more CH-47s. There are also 16 UH-1H Hueys and 16 Super Puma transports. However, Singapore's air force has capabilities on par with air forces like the United States. Singapore purchased four E-2C Hawkeyes. These planes are the same as those used by Israel, Taiwan, France, Japan, the U.S. Navy, and Egypt. No other country in Southeast Asia has this capability, which gives Singapore a huge advantage in any fight. Singapore also has acquired four KC-135R tankers — which extends the reach and endurance of Singapore's air force. These aircraft can refuel using a centerline boom, or a drogue can be attached. Singapore's F-16s use the boom method. The A-4SUs use the drogue method to refuel, and Singapore has also modified four C-130Bs into aerial tankers to support that. Singapore also has a mixture of Fokker maritime patrol aircraft — the F27 and F50 Maritime Enforcers. These planes provide a long-range anti-submarine and anti-surface aircraft. The Fokker F27s have a longer range (5,000 kilometers compared to 3,148 for the F50), but the F50s are faster (522 kilometers per hour compared to 480 for the F27). Combined with the Republic of Singapore Navy, the Republic of Singapore Air Force outclasses the forces of the other nations in Southeast Asia. It has a solid quantity of top-of-the-line combat aircraft, and capabilities unmatched by other forces in the region. You might be able to overpower the Republic of Singapore Army, but getting an invasion force to Singapore will be very difficult. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #14 ..I had the pleasure of working with the RoSAF on their first ever foreign deployment - Red Flag 98-2. They were flying our F-16s, as they weren't quite up to dragging their birds across the Pacific at that time, but they established a solid reputation right quickly. Very quiet, very polite, and very VERY good, up to our standards across the board and past them in a couple of places. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2005-02-24 9:34:30 PM |
| #13 I strongly suspect that you could call Singapore a reserve Air Force/Royal Air Force component. Nothing else can explain the mind-boggling size of the AF force such an country. |
| Posted by: Jame Retief 2005-02-24 8:25:37 PM |
| #12 message to their neighbors? Don't Tread on Me? Sounds familiar |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-02-24 8:12:55 PM |
| #11 Singapore is well aware of the threat mines pose for the Straits; mines were used there during WWII, forcing the Japanese to rely on rail transport. Singapore's long had a good MCM (mine- countermeasures)fleet. The 194th MCM squadron has four modern ships equipped with Remote Operated Underwater Vehicles. Their Special Diving Unit is also trained in MCM. They train extensively with other navies. As for offensive/defensive-deployment MIW (MIne Warfare), let's just say Singapore has a good defense industry, and their air force and navy are very capable. ; ) |
| Posted by: Pappy 2005-02-24 7:59:55 PM |
| #10 Tell 'em about the mines Pappy. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-02-24 6:55:06 PM |
| #9 Once total air superiority is established, picture the pucker factor of being on the receiving end as a pair of Buffs drop to about 500 ft and fire off a salvo of 12 Harpoons each at your Chinese invasion force - now about 50 clicks out of port... Heh. Yummm. I'm thinking of that sweet-hot dish of beef medallions called Tiger's Tears on Chinese menus... Neua yang on Thai menus... |
| Posted by: .com 2005-02-24 2:25:18 PM |
| #8 Oh, and I support the sale of AMRAAMs to Singapore. More profit-sharing for Me. |
| Posted by: Jackal 2005-02-24 2:17:43 PM |
| #7 Yipe! An island with 4 million people has some 60+ F-16s and 100+ older fighters, plus tankers and radar direction planes. Belgium, with over 10 million people, has 70 F-16s and no other fighters. No tankers or AWACS. Canada, with 32 million people, only has 104 F-18s. |
| Posted by: Jackal 2005-02-24 2:15:16 PM |
| #6 More: The A/R/UGM-84 was first introduced in 1977, and in 1979 the air-launched version was deployed on the Navy's P-3C Orion aircraft. The Harpoon was also adapted for use on USAF B-52H bombers, which can carry from 8 to 12 of the missiles. The Harpoon missile has been integrated on foreign F-16 aircraft and is presently being integrated on foreign F-15 aircraft. Block 50 F-16s can carry the Harpoon. And I've seen that video of a C-130 landing on a carrier. It rates at 10 on the pucker factor. |
| Posted by: Steve 2005-02-24 2:02:37 PM |
| #5 Harpoons from an F-16???? I don't believe it. Oh yea of little faith: Air-to-surface missiles carried on the F-16 include Maverick, HARM and Shrike missiles, manufactured by Raytheon, and anti-ship missiles include Boeing Harpoon and Kongsberg Penguin. The first guided launch of the new Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) was successfully carried out from an F-16 and the F-16 was the first USAF aircraft to be fitted with the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) in April 2000. |
| Posted by: Steve 2005-02-24 1:41:47 PM |
| #4 They're shooting Harpoons from an F-16???? I don't believe it. But then, I didn't believe that you could land a C-130 on a carrier, either. |
| Posted by: Chuck Simmins 2005-02-24 1:21:24 PM |
| #3 Yes pretty soon they will start to evacuate so that they can build enough hangers to house all these aircraft. The big question is, WHO GETS VOTED OFF THE ISLAND? |
| Posted by: BigEd 2005-02-24 12:14:57 PM |
| #2 They train very hard. We have a little known AF detachment in Singapore that works closely with them, plus they send their pilots to the States for training. Note in the story that their Apache's are currently based in the US. |
| Posted by: Steve 2005-02-24 12:13:50 PM |
| #1 Heh - that is quite an inventory! The training component isn't addressed, however, and that is definitely non-trivial. But I'll put my money on the Singaporeans doing it right. They "get it" on every topic I've ever seen addressed. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-02-24 11:26:08 AM |