AFP, SINGAPORE: Singapore expects to decide early next year on its choice of 20 new combat planes worth over one billion US dollars to replace its ageing fighter fleet, Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean said in remarks released here Friday.
“We expect a decision on this matter early next year,” Teo told reporters in France on Thursday as he wrapped up a visit there, according to excerpts of a press conference released by the government.
The island-state, which has one of Asia's most modern air, land and naval forces, is shopping for 20 warplanes to replace its current fleet of A-4SU Skyhawk combat jets in a deal valued at over a billion dollars.
Last year, Singapore trimmed its list to three possible choices — the Typhoon by European consortium Eurofighter, France's Rafale and Boeing's F-15 Eagle.
“We will make our acquisition decisions based on what is the most cost-effective option for us to meet our operational requirement,” Teo said.
“We have shortlisted three aircraft for our New Fighter Replacement Programme and one of those aircraft is a French aircraft, the Rafale. We will be making our evaluations over the coming year and make a decision in due course.”
France has been aggressively pushing to sell the Rafale.
French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie, during a visit to Singapore in May, offered a technological partnership with the city-state if the Rafale was chosen.
Singapore also plans to buy naval helicopters and Teo said a decision on its choice would be made within a similar time frame as the fighter jets.
Teo was in France to oversee the launch of Singapore's first navy frigate with radar-evading stealth capabilities, RSS Formidable, which French company Direction des Constructions Navales built.
The tiny island of four million people considers itself vulnerable to regional instability and spends vast amounts on beefing up its defence and keeping its military and reservists fully trained.
