US approves $2.9b sale of aircraft, torpedoes to Singapore

The US State Department has approved the potential sale of maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft (MPA) and lightweight torpedoes and related equipment to Singapore in a deal valued at an estimated US$2.3 billion (S$2.95 billion), the Pentagon said on Tuesday (Jan 20).

The principal contractor is Boeing, according to the Pentagon.

In response to AsiaOne's queries, Singapore's Ministry of Defence (Mindef) confirmed that it has been notified of the approval.

Mindef announced on Sept 10 that it would acquire four new Boeing P-8A maritime patrol aircraft to replace its ageing Fokker 50s which have been in service since 1993.

The deal was announced by Singapore's Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing during his meeting with United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon.

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.

It 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. 

Additional reporting by AsiaOne

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