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Saturday, May 9, 2009

Singapore Air Force receives F-15SG fighters


The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) detachment in Idaho, United States, received its first batch of four F-15SG multi-role fighter aircraft yesterday, marking the beginning of RSAF F-15 training at the Mountain Home Air Force Base there.A Ministry of Defence statement said prior to this, its pilots had been undergoing F-15 training with their US Air Force counterparts at Seymour Johnson Air Force base in North Carolina.The F-15SG is the most advanced variant of the F-15 aircraft built to date.With its ability to carry a large payload of weapons and fuel, giving it increased firepower and combat endurance, the aricraft will provide the Singapore Armed Forces with enhanced air defence and air superiority capabilities.

9 comments:

RSAF has multirole fighter F-16 & F-18.Then, why they need jumbo F-15SG?

ABHINABA Singapore airforce don’t operate F/A-18, they have 60+ F-16Block 52 few F-5 Tiger-II

These are two of key interests.
1. Open SLOCs (Sea lanes of communications)
2. Neighbors with Su-30 aircraft which puts doubts over the F-16’s ability to ensure the air superiority

Singapore’s lack of strategic depth and its unfavorable circumstances viz. a viz. its much bigger neighbors including difficult diplomatic relationship between Singapore and Malaysia. All this forces Singapore take its defenses seriously because of its unique circumstances.

In the early years, Singapore used the analogy of a 'poisonous shrimp' (small but indigestible by predators) to define its military strategy. The idea was that any aggressor would find that the costs of attempting to invade and occupy Singapore outweighed any conceivable benefits. By the 1990s, the emphasis it grew from a 'poisonous shrimp' to enabling the SAF to achieve a 'swift and decisive victory' over aggressors, though in official statements Singapore has never referred to the SAF's offensive strategy. This was because the 'poisonous shrimp' strategy was deficient in that it merely offered Singapore a choice of 'suicide or surrender'. Key to understanding Singapore's strategy, is that the SAF's clear capability to inflict severe damage on Malaysia (by implication creating serious political and economic repercussions for Singapore) is not intended to be used. The capability is a deterrent - a sort of regional 'doomsday machine' intended to manipulate Singapore's regional threat environment by forcing neighboring states to treat the city state with a degree of respect and caution which might otherwise be absent.

Singapore operates over 62 F-16C/Ds (including 20 block 52+ F-16Ds) Singapore is also replacing its E-2C Hawkeye AWACs with G550 CAEW to ensuring the Singapore air force keeps its technological edge. Singapore intends to acquire the F-35 in future.

With the requirements of capability to counter the Su-30 being acquired by its neighbors, requirement of absolute air superiority over Singapore due to dense population, ability to make long range strikes against invading countries if required and being a maritime nation, Singapore decided that it requires a twin-engine aircraft and this decision eliminated the JAS-39 Gripen and F-16 E/F Block 60 from the competition, and the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet was not accepted as it is an aircraft that is optimized for carrier operations with compromises on performance when compare to the F-15, Rafale and EF-2000. That left just three contenders: Boeing’s F-15T Strike Eagle, France’s Rafale, and the Eurofighter Typhoon. Limited air-ground capabilities and a slow upgrade schedule and uncertain future resulted in elimination of the Eurofighter, leaving just 2 contenders still flying. In September 2005 Boeing’s F-15T Strike Eagle was declared as winner, and the deal was done in December 2005. The Singaporean bid has been the subject of lengthy speculation in the analysis community, with most agreed that the F-15 was more suitable both as a counter to regional Flanker buys but also in terms of its range and endurance, which are vital for a maritime nation with vulnerable sea lanes. The F-15SG was selected by the RSAF due to its impressive strike capability as well as a still potent air to air capability, especially when equipped with the APG-63(V)3 AESA as well as the latest AIM-9X / AIM-120C AAMs.

This deal also makes sense because they need to use American training facilities, instructors, etc. It will be easier to maintain and arm the F16 & F15 as same weapons can be used with the both aircrafts without any additional work required for European aircrafts. Not to forget that F15 has taken active part in combat and was able to shot down 100+ enemy aircraft without a single loss(Even against less trained, equipped and capable foes its it is an amazing record).

is there increase in detection range in apg63(v3)
from apg63(v2)

and how does v2 version of apg63 compares to BARS N011 IN DETECTION RANGES

and when was the contract signed for f15 sg deal by the way

and indian mig29k still not arrived even after 5.5 years been passed

APG-63(V)2 was world’s first operational AESA fighter radar first fielded in 2000.Raytheon's APG-63(v)3 AESA radar builds upon APG 63(v)2 technology and the hardware advances of the F/A 18E/F Super Hornet's APG-79 AESA radar. It does enhanced performance and reliability over APG-63(V)2.

Facility to maintain and train pilots for Mig-29K was inaugurated at the INS Hansa naval base in Goa and Indian team, consisting of pilots and maintenance staff, are already in Russia undergoing training and the first batch of four aircraft might arrive by middle of this year.

Delays are mostly due to the fact that there are lots of problem with the Vikramaditya on which these are going to be based.

F-15E, which the F-15SG is based on, is not the air superiority variant but the strike variant.

F-15E/SE both still retains the excellent capabilities to handle threats from air of original F15s and carries additional strike capabilities

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