Posted on 08/24/2014 9:41:37 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Evidence that Singapore has far more than the officially claimed 24 Boeing F-15SG fighter aircraft has emerged, although the precise number of airframes has yet to be ascertained.
The FAA registry shows that eight Boeing F-15SG aircraft were registered to Boeing on 6 August 2014. The aircraft bear registrations N361SG, N363SG, N366SG, N368SG,N373SG, N376SG, N378SG, and N837SG.
Over the years industry observers have come to share the belief that the true number of aircraft is probably 32 - not 24 - mainly owing to the range of registration numbers on Singapore air force registered F-15SGs.
Moreover, on a tour of Korea Aerospace Industries’ (KAI) Sachon factory in 2011, Flightglobal observed the forward fuselage assembly of an F-15 labelled “SG28.” KAI is a key contractor in the F-15 programme.
Combined with aircraft sightings in recent years, it is feasible that the eight F-15SGs registered on 6 August push the size of Singapore’s fleet of the type to 40 aircraft.
Singapore and Boeing, for their part, have adamantly maintained that the official strength of Singapore’s F-15SG fleet is 24 aircraft.
Nonetheless, it is impossible to escape the view that the true size of the fleet is greater. At the recent Pitch Black exercises in Australia, defence observers noted that some F-15SGs showed signs that registration numbers had been painted or taped over, possibly a tactic to obfuscate the true size of the fleet.
Another element of evidence about additional F-15SGs is buried in the Federal Register from 17 April 2013, which indicates that Singapore may obtain additional examples through the direct commercial sale route.
The registry entry pertained to the acquisition of additional Raytheon AIM-120C7 AMRAAM missiles, but referenced additional aircraft as well.
“The Republic of Singapore requires these missiles to meet current and future threats of enemy aircraft,” says the entry. “Singapore is procuring, via Direct Commercial Sale, new F–15SG aircraft.”
If Singapore has 40 F-15SGs, the country’s fighter fleet numbers about 126 aircraft. Flightglobal’s World Air Forces directory shows that Singapore also operates 60 Lockheed Martin F-16s and 26 Northrop F-5s. The country plans to upgrade the F-16 fleet, and replace the F-5s with the F-35 – the country has indicated a preference for the short take-off vertical landing F-35B variant.
Singapore’s secrecy about its F-15SG fleet could stem from the fact that the type is, by a very large margin, the most effective combat aircraft in Southeast Asia – especially coupled with the high quality of Singapore pilots.
Singapore’s F-15SGs are split between Singapore and the USAF’s Mountain Home base in Idaho, where a training detachment is stationed.
what atoll in the South China Sea does Singapore claim that it needs F15s?
How does the US not know how many they have?
It is all about China as the regional threat to everyone else over there
I’d guess that our intel people actually do know, but choose not to make it public.
> Singapore’s secrecy about its F-15SG fleet could stem from the fact that the type is, by a very large margin, the most effective combat aircraft in Southeast Asia – especially coupled with the high quality of Singapore pilots.
Thanks sukhoi-30mki.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Singapore#Separation
If Singapore did not have a spunky, totally kick-ass-take-names military with the highest standards of training, doctrine, and equipment, it would have already been swallowed up by Malaysia, which resents it for any number of reasons, not the least of which being its much higher standard of living, cleanliness, modernity — and the fact that it is an ethnic Chinese majority city surrounded by Malays.
Pretty amazing they have 24. Singapore is a city state. It is like the city of Houston having an air force with 24 F-15s and the crews to run them. Houston couldn’t afford it.
It was explained to me many years ago, by some very astute Singaporeans, that the Singapore order of battle is not the mere defence of Singapore, per se, but, rather, the sustained occupation of Johor for up to six months.
I think they have about 90 F-16s as well.
Of course, with these clowns in charge, anything is possible. Obama probably didn't know until he read it in the papers.
We are.
A friend of mine from my Air Force days was an F-5 instructor at Williams AFB, AZ, back in the days when “Willie” was still open, and we trained foreign F-5 pilots at that installation.
He told me the pilots from Singapore were far and away the best students in every class. Their flying skills were top-notch and when they weren’t in the cockpit, they were in the books, far more than any other group of pilots. He also told me the Jordanians were very good, largely because King Hussein personally managed his nation’s Air Force and hand-picked the pilots who trained in the U.S.
At the other end of the spectrum, he said Saudi and Mexican pilots ranged from borderline competent to downright dangerous. Most viewed the Williams training program as little more than a high-speed flying club, and that his how they approached their flight training and academics. Said it was a real adventure getting some of those “students” through the course.
With Muslim Malaysia (of which it was part until the 1960’s when they were kicked out for being “too Chinese”) and Indonesia to the south (the largest Muslim country on Earth) Singapore has every reason to be armed to the teeth. Especially since through hard work, clean government, and location on the globe’s most important and narrowest trade corridor they have during fifty years of independence become the jewel of Asia. The China threat may also be a factor but a distant third after their immediate neighbors.
I wonder how many the Russians have....
Just astounding isn’t it? The interesting thing, what % of their GDP do the spend on defense?
20 years ago, when I was frequently in SE Asia, I marveled each time at how clean and well ordered Singapore is. That and the huge planters on the boulevard leading from the airport that could be moved to create another runway in time of conflict.
No law there seemed unjust so long as you could remain decent enough to live with others peacefully.
Singapore Does have a MAJOR problem with Real Estate. It just doesn’t have the territory to train its personnel. So it has to rely on Australia, France, Taiwan, India, the US and Israel for target practice. If I’m not mistaken, some Singapore units are permanently based in the US and France.
Singapore is tiny!
https://www.google.com/maps/@1.2729132,106.3897119,7z
I feel sure that our military has all the information they desire on Singapore’s aircraft that are US sourced planes. They partner with us in training and maintaining on all these aircraft and have training groups at a number of US AF bases.
With the USAF they participate fully in exercises and positioning of their forces. What they don’t do is publish everything that liberal media would like as they (and we) don’t want the Chinese and others to know all of their capabilities for certain.
This article is written as though this is a mystery or something is amiss. It is only a mystery to those who don’t need the information.
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