Singapore to acquire 4 new Boeing maritime patrol aircraft to replace ageing Fokker 50s

The Ministry of Defence (Mindef) will be acquiring four new Boeing P-8A maritime patrol aircraft to replace its ageing Fokker 50s which have been in service since 1993.

This was announced by Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing during his meeting with United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon on Wednesday (Sept 10). 

Chan, who is also Coordinating Minister for Public Services, is in the US for his introductory visit as Defence Minister from Sept 9 to 13. 

The Boeing P-8A was developed for military use based on the Boeing 737-800 commercial aircraft but it has been substantially modified to include a weapons bay, according to information from the Australian Government Department of Defence website.

The P-8A is currently operated by nine other countries including the United States and United Kingdom. For now, the only other Asian operators are India and South Korea. 

The P-8 can fly up to 41,000 feet with a maximum speed of 490 knots, according to Boeing's website. 

It has, on paper, an endurance of 1,200 nautical miles (about 2,200km) and is operated by a nine-man crew. 

It is capable of carrying up to 129 sonobuoys for submarine detection, light-weight anti-submarine torpedoes and maritime markers for search and locate missions. It can also carry deployable lift rafts, if fitted. 

Like its eventual predecessor, the P-8As has anti-surface warfare capabilities and can be used for search and locate missions. 

Singapore, US reaffirm commitment to defence cooperation

During Chan’s meeting with Hegseth, the leaders reaffirmed the excellent and longstanding bilateral defence relationship, and mutually beneficial partnership between both countries.

Chan also reiterated Singapore’s support for the US’ continued engagement in the Asia-Pacific. This is in line with the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which was renewed in 2019 by President Donald Trump and then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. 

Both sides also exchanged views on security developments in the region. 

The minister will meet with several senior US leaders, including members of the US Congress before visiting Singapore Armed Forces personnel participating in Exercise Forging Sabre at Mountain Home Air Base, Idaho, and the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter aircraft production facility in Fort Worth, Texas.

Between 2019 and 2024, Singapore has committed to acquiring 20 F-35s to replace its ageing F-16s. 

According to Mindef, production has commenced and is on schedule to be delivered from end-2026 onwards.

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editor@asiaone.com