https://edition.cnn.com/2019/03/06/asia/singapore-f-35-fighters-analysis-intl/index.html
The message to China behind Singapore's US F-35 jet plan
Analysis by Brad Lendon, CNN
Updated 1857 GMT (0257 HKT) March 7, 2019
Hong Kong (CNN)They are at the cutting-edge of America's elite stealth jet technology, capable of seamlessly connecting pilots for co-ordinated missions.
And now Singapore wants to become the fourth country to enmesh US F-35 warplanes above and around the South China Sea -- a move likely to be greeted with trepidation in Beijing.
In a speech before Parliament last week, Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen announced a plan to buy up to 12 F-35 warplanes from the US. If the deal goes through, Singapore will become the fourth American ally in the Pacific to own them.
The purchase would require US congressional approval, but Ng said that both the Trump administration and the Pentagon favored the deal.
A US Marine Corps F-35B flies above the East China Sea, Oct. 23, 2018.
"Next Gen Singapore Armed Forces will be more lethal in all domains," read a graphic shown to legislators during the defense minister's presentation. It showed dozens of pieces of military hardware Singapore plans to have in its arsenal by 2030 as it ramps up its defense capabilities.
The US stealth fighters are the crown jewel on the list. The Pentagon touts the F-35, with the world's most advanced avionics, engines and weaponry, as the "the most affordable, lethal, supportable and survivable aircraft ever to be used."
Regional stability
Singapore sits on the western approaches to the South China Sea. Analysts say the country's decision to acquire F-35 technology is indicative of growing concerns within Asia regarding China's regional ambitions.
"Singapore probably does not trust China's assurances that its South China Sea claims are benign, without military intentions and will not result in China taking control of air and sea commerce," said Carl Schuster, a former director of operations at the US Pacific Command's Joint Intelligence Center.
China has claimed almost the entire 1.3-million-square-mile South China Sea as its sovereign territory. It has aggressively asserted its stake in recent years in the face of conflicting claims from several Southeast Asian nations, building up and fortifying islands in the Spratly and Paracel chains.
The US has steadfastly contested those claims, sending warships on freedom of navigation operations near the islands and regularly flying reconnaissance -- and sometimes bomber -- flights over the South China Sea.
When it acquires the F-35s, Singapore will join US allies Australia, Japan and South Korea in operating the jets in the Pacific. The US also has F-35s based in Japan, and they can operate off US Navy ships moving through the region. Even the United Kingdom said earlier this year it would send an aircraft carrier with F-35s into the region in 2020.
US officials have previously dismissed the idea they are pursuing a cold war or containment policy in regards to China in the Pacific, but Singapore's decision to join the list of F-35 capable countries risks strengthening that divide between the US and China.
"Beijing should see in this development evidence that there remains strong demand in the Asia-Pacific region for a US presence," said Timothy Heath, senior defense analyst at the RAND Corp.
"The network of air forces that employ the F-35 expands the possibility that these militaries could work together in a coalition if necessary. This development can provide a robust deterrence message to China regarding its behavior in the South and East China seas," Heath said.
Coordination among allies
The F-35's advanced electronic warfare suite can allow seamless integration among allied users and that could be cause for concern in Beijing.
A new F-35B fighter jet is prepped for take off from the deck of the United Kingdom's aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2018. The jet's electronics enable close coordination between allied air forces.
Peter Layton, defense analyst at the Griffith Asia Institute in Australia, says the F-35's stealth and electronic warfare capabilities make it a "force multiplier." F-35s are able to sneak past air defenses and send detailed targeting information to trailing planes carrying long-range missiles or to land-based anti-ship missile systems, he added.
"The acquisition may spur China to think about how it can improve its air defense network in the South China Sea and on ships to detect and target stealth aircraft such as Singapore's F-35," said Layton.
Previous F-35 purchases from US allies have prompted bravado from Chinese media.
A January report in the state-sponsored Global Times brushed away any threat from "the US F-35 friends circle" in the Asia-Pacific, with Chinese analysts saying the F-35 was no match for China's fifth-generation stealth jet, the J-20.
Yet even though the F-35 procurement sends strong signals to China, analysts agree that Singapore is sending them carefully.
Defense Minister Ng did not mention China when revealing purchase plans last week. His presentation to Parliament said only that the jets "will significantly contribute to the (air force's) ability to safeguard Singapore's sovereignty and security."
He also said the country was being deliberate in how it acquired them, buying four with its first order and then adding up to eight others if the first batch fit requirements.
Singapore Air Force F-15SGs fighter aircraft flay as part of the National Day Parade in 2018. The jets would work in concert with the county's F-35s in the future.
'Low-key player'
The F-35s would eventually work in concert with Singapore's US-built F-15s when they replace the country's F-16s, which will be obsolete in a decade, the defense minister said.
Two Singaporean F-16s fly in formation with an F-15 in 2017. The country's defense minister says the F-16s will be obsolete by 2030.
While Singapore has been a close and longtime US ally -- it even hosts a US Navy facility -- it tends to be a low-key player in military matters.
"Despite good relations with the United States, Singapore generally remains reluctant to take a leadership role in challenging Chinese power due to its small size and depth of economic ties with China," Heath said.
Schuster added: "Singapore does not want to anger China... Singapore tends to act quietly and with nuance and subtlety."
However, the subtle approach should not be mistaken for military weakness.
Australia's Lowy Institute ranked Singapore's military power 10th among 25 Asian nations last year -- just behind Australia and ahead of larger countries like Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Singapore boasts quality military hardware and strong defense relationships in the region.
"Singapore sees its role as a facilitator of regional security and stability, not as a member of any alliance directed at any particular nation," said Schuster.
https://mil.news.sina.com.cn/china/2019-03-08/doc-ihrfqzkc2120209.shtml
新加坡确定采购F35战机 美媒：此举让北京感到不安
新加坡确定采购F35战机 美媒：此举让北京感到不安
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原标题：新加坡确定采购F-35战机 CNN立刻扯上中国
（观察者网讯）新加坡国防部长黄永宏上周终于确定该国将向美国购买一批F-35战机。
新加坡空军这一更新换代决定，却引来了美媒CNN“这是向中国传递信号”的猜测。美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）7日刊登其国际版编辑布拉德·兰登（Brad Lendon）的文章，称如果计划顺利执行，新加坡将成为继澳大利亚、日本、韩国后，美国在太平洋地区第四个拥有F-35的盟友，此举可能会让“北京感到不安”。
但分析人士认为，新加坡在此事上保持谨慎，不想激怒中国，也不愿在挑战中国的问题上发挥领导作用。
观察者网军事评论员指出，选购F-35表明，新加坡在安全防务问题上延续了以往做法：依靠美国的态度并没有任何改变和调整。
新加坡航展上展出的F-35 图自AINonline网站
据《联合早报》报道，新加坡国防部长黄永宏3月1日辩论国防预算时表示，新加坡将购买四架美国F-35战斗机，未来还可能追加八架。他称购买意愿已经获得美国行政部门和国防部的同意，特朗普2月写信给新加坡总理李显龙，对此决定表示欢迎。
黄永宏表示，一架F-35战机的售价将介于9000万至1.15亿美元（约合人民币6.04亿至7.7亿）之间。CNN指出，采购F-35战机最终还要得到美国国会批准。
2018年7月，黄永宏在谈及更换新加坡军队装备的F-16战机时，曾列举了几款新一代战机为例，包括欧洲战机集团的“台风”战机、美国洛克希德·马丁公司的F-35、俄罗斯苏霍伊公司的SU-57，以及中国成都飞机工业集团的歼-20。
观察者网曾提到，虽说黄永宏在罗列参考机型时提及了歼-20，但并不意味着新加坡真的打算采购这型飞机。从黄永宏提出的几个机型中可以看出，新加坡军队本次战机采购的技术目标相当之高，实际上恐怕是直接瞄准了四代隐形战斗机，更确切地说，是瞄准了F-35。
其实早在2003年，新加坡就签署了合作协议作为“安全合作参与国”（Security Cooperative Participants，SCP）加入了F-35的初始研制。相较于新加坡，另一个SCP国以色列早已把F-35用于实战。
新加坡拉惹勒南国际关系学院国防分析员卢福伟博士曾指出，“新加坡自2003年便为F-35项目投入大笔资金，很难想象现在会突然放弃采购这种战机。”
CNN：这是给中国的信号
新加坡虽然是一个城市国家，但在军队建设上却毫不手软，时常购买一些乍看上去与其国家体量不符的先进军事装备，从而在东南亚小型军备竞赛中不落下风。
黄永宏去年7月就特别强调“有效地保护领空”对小国新加坡的国防至关重要，因此新加坡空军必须保持区域内的领先地位。东南亚几个邻国普遍装备第三代双发重型战斗机，印尼还正与韩国联合研制下一代隐形战斗机。在此背景下，新加坡终于下定决心购买美制F-35并不奇怪。
新加坡空军的F-15SG，几个地区邻国马来西亚、印尼和越南也都各自装备了与之相当的双发重型战斗机（wikimedia commons 图）
但对于新加坡这次的采购计划，CNN煞有介事地将其与中国联系起来，认为这是在向中国“传递信号”。
文章援引美国智库兰德公司高级防务分析师蒂莫西·希思（Timothy Heath）的话说：“北京应该从这一事件中看到，亚太地区对美国的需求依旧强劲。”他以南海和东海为例，称部署F-35的军队联合起来，增加了这些国家在必要时联合作战的可能性。
澳大利亚格里菲斯亚洲研究所（Griffith Asia Institute）防务分析师雷顿（Peter Layton）认为，新加坡购买购F-35，可能促使中国思考如何改善其在南海的防空网络，及如何在舰艇上侦测及瞄准F-35这种隐形战机。
不过，尽管新加坡采购F-35战机是向中国发出“强烈的信号”，分析人士却一致认为，新加坡正谨慎地发送这些信号。
黄永宏在宣布购买计划时没有提及中国，他只表示这些战机“将极大提高（空军）维护新加坡主权和安全的能力”。
新加坡国防部长黄永宏 图自《联合早报》
希思认为，尽管新加坡与美国关系良好，但由于国家本身体量小并且在经济上与中国联系紧密，新加坡通常不愿意在挑战中国的问题上发挥领导作用。
“新加坡不想激怒中国，而倾向于悄悄行事，”前美军太平洋司令部联合情报中心作战处长舒斯特（Carl Schuster）补充说：“新加坡认为自己扮演的角色是区域安全与稳定的促进者，而非针对任何特定国家的联盟的成员。”
观察者网军事评论员指出，新加坡作为濒临马六甲海峡的城市国家，其安全环境与马六甲海峡的畅通与否休戚相关，而自诩保护国际航线自由的美国更是将马六甲海峡作为美军在战时需要控制的全球重要海上通道之一。美国长期对新加坡军队提供采购美制先进武器的便利，新加坡樟宜海军基地目前也是美国海军在东南亚地区最重要的海军基地之一。新加坡选购F-35表明其在安全问题上依靠美国的态度并没有任何改变和调整。
点击进入专题：
每日军情TOP5（第1期）
Singapore determines to purchase F35 fighters. US media: This move makes Beijing feel uneasy
Singapore determines to purchase F35 fighters. US media: This move makes Beijing feel uneasy
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Original title: Singapore confirmed the purchase of F-35 fighter CNN immediately pulled into China
(Observer Web News) Singapore Defense Minister Huang Yonghong finally confirmed last week that the country will purchase a batch of F-35 fighters from the United States.
The replacement decision of the Singapore Air Force has led to speculation that the US media CNN "this is a signal to China." CNN released an article in its international edition, Brad Lendon, on the 7th, saying that if the plan is implemented smoothly, Singapore will become the first in the Pacific after Australia, Japan, and South Korea. Four allies with F-35 may make "Beijing feel uneasy."
But analysts believe that Singapore is cautious in this matter, does not want to anger China, and does not want to play a leading role in challenging China.
Observer network military commentator pointed out that the purchase of F-35 shows that Singapore has continued its past practice on security and defense issues: there has been no change or adjustment in the attitude of relying on the United States.
The F-35 picture on display at the Singapore Air Show from the AINonline website at the Singapore Air Show, the F-35 map from the AINonline website
According to the Lianhe Zaobao, Singapore’s Defense Minister Huang Yonghong said in a defense budget on March 1 that Singapore will purchase four US F-35 fighter jets and that it may add eight more in the future. He said that the purchase intention has been approved by the US administration and the Ministry of Defense. Trump wrote a letter to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in February, welcoming the decision.
Huang Yonghong said that the price of an F-35 fighter will be between 90 million and 115 million US dollars (about 604 million to 770 million). CNN pointed out that the purchase of the F-35 fighter will eventually be approved by the US Congress.
In July 2018, when Huang Yonghong talked about replacing the F-16 fighters equipped by the Singapore military, he cited several new generation fighters, including the "Typhoon" fighters of the European Fighter Group and the F. Lockheed Martin of the United States. -35, SU-57 of Sukhoi, Russia, and 歼-20 of Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group of China.
Observer Network once mentioned that although Huang Yonghong mentioned the 歼-20 when listing the reference models, it does not mean that Singapore really intends to purchase this type of aircraft. It can be seen from several models proposed by Huang Yonghong that the technical target of the Singapore military's purchase of this aircraft is quite high. In fact, it is probably aimed directly at the four-generation stealth fighter, or more precisely, the F-35.
In fact, as early as 2003, Singapore signed a cooperation agreement as a “Security Cooperative Participants” (SCP) to join the initial development of the F-35. Compared to Singapore, another SCP country Israel has already used the F-35 for actual combat.
Dr. Lu Fuwei, a defense analyst at the Rajaratnam School of International Relations in Singapore, once pointed out that “Singapore has invested heavily in the F-35 project since 2003. It is hard to imagine that it will suddenly abandon the purchase of such fighters.”
CNN: This is a signal to China.
Although Singapore is a city country, it is not soft in the army building. It often buys some advanced military equipment that does not seem to be in line with the country's size, so it will not fall in the small arms race in Southeast Asia.
In July last year, Huang Yonghong emphasized that "effective protection of airspace" is crucial to the defense of small country Singapore. Therefore, the Singapore Air Force must maintain its leading position in the region. Several neighboring countries in Southeast Asia are generally equipped with third-generation dual-engine heavy fighters. Indonesia is also cooperating with South Korea to develop the next generation of stealth fighters. In this context, it is not surprising that Singapore has finally made up its mind to buy the US F-35.
Singapore Air Force's F-15SG, several regional neighbors Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam are also equipped with comparable dual-engine heavy fighters (wikimedia commons map)
However, for Singapore's procurement plan, CNN has been able to link it to China and believes that it is "transmitting signals" to China.
The article quoted Timothy Heath, senior defense analyst at the US think tank Rand, as saying: "Beijing should see from this incident that the demand for the United States in the Asia-Pacific region is still strong." He takes the South China Sea and the East China Sea. As an example, the alliance of the F-35 troops has increased the possibility of joint operations of these countries when necessary.
Peter Layton, a defense analyst at the Griffith Asia Institute in Australia, believes that buying F-35 in Singapore may prompt China to think about how to improve its air defense network in the South China Sea and how to detect it on ships. Measure and target the F-35 stealth fighter.
However, although Singapore's purchase of the F-35 is a "strong signal" to China, analysts agree that Singapore is sending these signals cautiously.
Huang Yonghong did not mention China when he announced the purchase plan. He only said that these fighters "will greatly enhance the ability of the Air Force to maintain Singapore's sovereignty and security."
Singapore’s Defense Minister Huang Yonghong from the “Lianhe Zaobao” Singapore’s Defense Minister Huang Yonghong from the Lianhe Zaobao
Heath believes that despite the good relations between Singapore and the United States, Singapore is often reluctant to play a leading role in challenging China because of its small size and its close economic ties with China.
“Singapore doesn’t want to anger China, but tends to act quietly,” added Carl Schuster, former chief of operations at the US Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center. “Singapore believes that its role is a promoter of regional security and stability. Not a member of an alliance for any particular country."
Observer network military commentator pointed out that Singapore, as a city in the Malacca Strait, its security environment is closely related to the smooth flow of the Straits of Malacca, and the United States, which protects the freedom of international routes, uses the Straits of Malacca as a US military in wartime. Controlled one of the world's most important sea lanes. The United States has long provided the Singaporean army with the convenience of purchasing American-made advanced weapons. The Singapore Changi Naval Base is also one of the most important naval bases for the US Navy in Southeast Asia. Singapore's purchase of the F-35 indicates that it has not changed or adjusted its attitude toward the United States on security issues.
Click to enter the topic:
Daily Military TOP5 (Phase 1)
The message to China behind Singapore's US F-35 jet plan
Analysis by Brad Lendon, CNN
Updated 1857 GMT (0257 HKT) March 7, 2019
Hong Kong (CNN)They are at the cutting-edge of America's elite stealth jet technology, capable of seamlessly connecting pilots for co-ordinated missions.
And now Singapore wants to become the fourth country to enmesh US F-35 warplanes above and around the South China Sea -- a move likely to be greeted with trepidation in Beijing.
In a speech before Parliament last week, Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen announced a plan to buy up to 12 F-35 warplanes from the US. If the deal goes through, Singapore will become the fourth American ally in the Pacific to own them.
The purchase would require US congressional approval, but Ng said that both the Trump administration and the Pentagon favored the deal.
A US Marine Corps F-35B flies above the East China Sea, Oct. 23, 2018.
"Next Gen Singapore Armed Forces will be more lethal in all domains," read a graphic shown to legislators during the defense minister's presentation. It showed dozens of pieces of military hardware Singapore plans to have in its arsenal by 2030 as it ramps up its defense capabilities.
The US stealth fighters are the crown jewel on the list. The Pentagon touts the F-35, with the world's most advanced avionics, engines and weaponry, as the "the most affordable, lethal, supportable and survivable aircraft ever to be used."
Regional stability
Singapore sits on the western approaches to the South China Sea. Analysts say the country's decision to acquire F-35 technology is indicative of growing concerns within Asia regarding China's regional ambitions.
"Singapore probably does not trust China's assurances that its South China Sea claims are benign, without military intentions and will not result in China taking control of air and sea commerce," said Carl Schuster, a former director of operations at the US Pacific Command's Joint Intelligence Center.
China has claimed almost the entire 1.3-million-square-mile South China Sea as its sovereign territory. It has aggressively asserted its stake in recent years in the face of conflicting claims from several Southeast Asian nations, building up and fortifying islands in the Spratly and Paracel chains.
The US has steadfastly contested those claims, sending warships on freedom of navigation operations near the islands and regularly flying reconnaissance -- and sometimes bomber -- flights over the South China Sea.
When it acquires the F-35s, Singapore will join US allies Australia, Japan and South Korea in operating the jets in the Pacific. The US also has F-35s based in Japan, and they can operate off US Navy ships moving through the region. Even the United Kingdom said earlier this year it would send an aircraft carrier with F-35s into the region in 2020.
US officials have previously dismissed the idea they are pursuing a cold war or containment policy in regards to China in the Pacific, but Singapore's decision to join the list of F-35 capable countries risks strengthening that divide between the US and China.
"Beijing should see in this development evidence that there remains strong demand in the Asia-Pacific region for a US presence," said Timothy Heath, senior defense analyst at the RAND Corp.
"The network of air forces that employ the F-35 expands the possibility that these militaries could work together in a coalition if necessary. This development can provide a robust deterrence message to China regarding its behavior in the South and East China seas," Heath said.
Coordination among allies
The F-35's advanced electronic warfare suite can allow seamless integration among allied users and that could be cause for concern in Beijing.
A new F-35B fighter jet is prepped for take off from the deck of the United Kingdom's aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2018. The jet's electronics enable close coordination between allied air forces.
Peter Layton, defense analyst at the Griffith Asia Institute in Australia, says the F-35's stealth and electronic warfare capabilities make it a "force multiplier." F-35s are able to sneak past air defenses and send detailed targeting information to trailing planes carrying long-range missiles or to land-based anti-ship missile systems, he added.
"The acquisition may spur China to think about how it can improve its air defense network in the South China Sea and on ships to detect and target stealth aircraft such as Singapore's F-35," said Layton.
Previous F-35 purchases from US allies have prompted bravado from Chinese media.
A January report in the state-sponsored Global Times brushed away any threat from "the US F-35 friends circle" in the Asia-Pacific, with Chinese analysts saying the F-35 was no match for China's fifth-generation stealth jet, the J-20.
Yet even though the F-35 procurement sends strong signals to China, analysts agree that Singapore is sending them carefully.
Defense Minister Ng did not mention China when revealing purchase plans last week. His presentation to Parliament said only that the jets "will significantly contribute to the (air force's) ability to safeguard Singapore's sovereignty and security."
He also said the country was being deliberate in how it acquired them, buying four with its first order and then adding up to eight others if the first batch fit requirements.
Singapore Air Force F-15SGs fighter aircraft flay as part of the National Day Parade in 2018. The jets would work in concert with the county's F-35s in the future.
'Low-key player'
The F-35s would eventually work in concert with Singapore's US-built F-15s when they replace the country's F-16s, which will be obsolete in a decade, the defense minister said.
Two Singaporean F-16s fly in formation with an F-15 in 2017. The country's defense minister says the F-16s will be obsolete by 2030.
While Singapore has been a close and longtime US ally -- it even hosts a US Navy facility -- it tends to be a low-key player in military matters.
"Despite good relations with the United States, Singapore generally remains reluctant to take a leadership role in challenging Chinese power due to its small size and depth of economic ties with China," Heath said.
Schuster added: "Singapore does not want to anger China... Singapore tends to act quietly and with nuance and subtlety."
However, the subtle approach should not be mistaken for military weakness.
Australia's Lowy Institute ranked Singapore's military power 10th among 25 Asian nations last year -- just behind Australia and ahead of larger countries like Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Singapore boasts quality military hardware and strong defense relationships in the region.
"Singapore sees its role as a facilitator of regional security and stability, not as a member of any alliance directed at any particular nation," said Schuster.
https://mil.news.sina.com.cn/china/2019-03-08/doc-ihrfqzkc2120209.shtml
新加坡确定采购F35战机 美媒：此举让北京感到不安
新加坡确定采购F35战机 美媒：此举让北京感到不安
8,805
原标题：新加坡确定采购F-35战机 CNN立刻扯上中国
（观察者网讯）新加坡国防部长黄永宏上周终于确定该国将向美国购买一批F-35战机。
新加坡空军这一更新换代决定，却引来了美媒CNN“这是向中国传递信号”的猜测。美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）7日刊登其国际版编辑布拉德·兰登（Brad Lendon）的文章，称如果计划顺利执行，新加坡将成为继澳大利亚、日本、韩国后，美国在太平洋地区第四个拥有F-35的盟友，此举可能会让“北京感到不安”。
但分析人士认为，新加坡在此事上保持谨慎，不想激怒中国，也不愿在挑战中国的问题上发挥领导作用。
观察者网军事评论员指出，选购F-35表明，新加坡在安全防务问题上延续了以往做法：依靠美国的态度并没有任何改变和调整。
据《联合早报》报道，新加坡国防部长黄永宏3月1日辩论国防预算时表示，新加坡将购买四架美国F-35战斗机，未来还可能追加八架。他称购买意愿已经获得美国行政部门和国防部的同意，特朗普2月写信给新加坡总理李显龙，对此决定表示欢迎。
黄永宏表示，一架F-35战机的售价将介于9000万至1.15亿美元（约合人民币6.04亿至7.7亿）之间。CNN指出，采购F-35战机最终还要得到美国国会批准。
2018年7月，黄永宏在谈及更换新加坡军队装备的F-16战机时，曾列举了几款新一代战机为例，包括欧洲战机集团的“台风”战机、美国洛克希德·马丁公司的F-35、俄罗斯苏霍伊公司的SU-57，以及中国成都飞机工业集团的歼-20。
观察者网曾提到，虽说黄永宏在罗列参考机型时提及了歼-20，但并不意味着新加坡真的打算采购这型飞机。从黄永宏提出的几个机型中可以看出，新加坡军队本次战机采购的技术目标相当之高，实际上恐怕是直接瞄准了四代隐形战斗机，更确切地说，是瞄准了F-35。
其实早在2003年，新加坡就签署了合作协议作为“安全合作参与国”（Security Cooperative Participants，SCP）加入了F-35的初始研制。相较于新加坡，另一个SCP国以色列早已把F-35用于实战。
新加坡拉惹勒南国际关系学院国防分析员卢福伟博士曾指出，“新加坡自2003年便为F-35项目投入大笔资金，很难想象现在会突然放弃采购这种战机。”
CNN：这是给中国的信号
新加坡虽然是一个城市国家，但在军队建设上却毫不手软，时常购买一些乍看上去与其国家体量不符的先进军事装备，从而在东南亚小型军备竞赛中不落下风。
黄永宏去年7月就特别强调“有效地保护领空”对小国新加坡的国防至关重要，因此新加坡空军必须保持区域内的领先地位。东南亚几个邻国普遍装备第三代双发重型战斗机，印尼还正与韩国联合研制下一代隐形战斗机。在此背景下，新加坡终于下定决心购买美制F-35并不奇怪。
新加坡空军的F-15SG，几个地区邻国马来西亚、印尼和越南也都各自装备了与之相当的双发重型战斗机（wikimedia commons 图）
但对于新加坡这次的采购计划，CNN煞有介事地将其与中国联系起来，认为这是在向中国“传递信号”。
文章援引美国智库兰德公司高级防务分析师蒂莫西·希思（Timothy Heath）的话说：“北京应该从这一事件中看到，亚太地区对美国的需求依旧强劲。”他以南海和东海为例，称部署F-35的军队联合起来，增加了这些国家在必要时联合作战的可能性。
澳大利亚格里菲斯亚洲研究所（Griffith Asia Institute）防务分析师雷顿（Peter Layton）认为，新加坡购买购F-35，可能促使中国思考如何改善其在南海的防空网络，及如何在舰艇上侦测及瞄准F-35这种隐形战机。
不过，尽管新加坡采购F-35战机是向中国发出“强烈的信号”，分析人士却一致认为，新加坡正谨慎地发送这些信号。
黄永宏在宣布购买计划时没有提及中国，他只表示这些战机“将极大提高（空军）维护新加坡主权和安全的能力”。
希思认为，尽管新加坡与美国关系良好，但由于国家本身体量小并且在经济上与中国联系紧密，新加坡通常不愿意在挑战中国的问题上发挥领导作用。
“新加坡不想激怒中国，而倾向于悄悄行事，”前美军太平洋司令部联合情报中心作战处长舒斯特（Carl Schuster）补充说：“新加坡认为自己扮演的角色是区域安全与稳定的促进者，而非针对任何特定国家的联盟的成员。”
观察者网军事评论员指出，新加坡作为濒临马六甲海峡的城市国家，其安全环境与马六甲海峡的畅通与否休戚相关，而自诩保护国际航线自由的美国更是将马六甲海峡作为美军在战时需要控制的全球重要海上通道之一。美国长期对新加坡军队提供采购美制先进武器的便利，新加坡樟宜海军基地目前也是美国海军在东南亚地区最重要的海军基地之一。新加坡选购F-35表明其在安全问题上依靠美国的态度并没有任何改变和调整。
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Singapore determines to purchase F35 fighters. US media: This move makes Beijing feel uneasy
Singapore determines to purchase F35 fighters. US media: This move makes Beijing feel uneasy
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Original title: Singapore confirmed the purchase of F-35 fighter CNN immediately pulled into China
(Observer Web News) Singapore Defense Minister Huang Yonghong finally confirmed last week that the country will purchase a batch of F-35 fighters from the United States.
The replacement decision of the Singapore Air Force has led to speculation that the US media CNN "this is a signal to China." CNN released an article in its international edition, Brad Lendon, on the 7th, saying that if the plan is implemented smoothly, Singapore will become the first in the Pacific after Australia, Japan, and South Korea. Four allies with F-35 may make "Beijing feel uneasy."
But analysts believe that Singapore is cautious in this matter, does not want to anger China, and does not want to play a leading role in challenging China.
Observer network military commentator pointed out that the purchase of F-35 shows that Singapore has continued its past practice on security and defense issues: there has been no change or adjustment in the attitude of relying on the United States.
The F-35 picture on display at the Singapore Air Show from the AINonline website at the Singapore Air Show, the F-35 map from the AINonline website
According to the Lianhe Zaobao, Singapore’s Defense Minister Huang Yonghong said in a defense budget on March 1 that Singapore will purchase four US F-35 fighter jets and that it may add eight more in the future. He said that the purchase intention has been approved by the US administration and the Ministry of Defense. Trump wrote a letter to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in February, welcoming the decision.
Huang Yonghong said that the price of an F-35 fighter will be between 90 million and 115 million US dollars (about 604 million to 770 million). CNN pointed out that the purchase of the F-35 fighter will eventually be approved by the US Congress.
In July 2018, when Huang Yonghong talked about replacing the F-16 fighters equipped by the Singapore military, he cited several new generation fighters, including the "Typhoon" fighters of the European Fighter Group and the F. Lockheed Martin of the United States. -35, SU-57 of Sukhoi, Russia, and 歼-20 of Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group of China.
Observer Network once mentioned that although Huang Yonghong mentioned the 歼-20 when listing the reference models, it does not mean that Singapore really intends to purchase this type of aircraft. It can be seen from several models proposed by Huang Yonghong that the technical target of the Singapore military's purchase of this aircraft is quite high. In fact, it is probably aimed directly at the four-generation stealth fighter, or more precisely, the F-35.
In fact, as early as 2003, Singapore signed a cooperation agreement as a “Security Cooperative Participants” (SCP) to join the initial development of the F-35. Compared to Singapore, another SCP country Israel has already used the F-35 for actual combat.
Dr. Lu Fuwei, a defense analyst at the Rajaratnam School of International Relations in Singapore, once pointed out that “Singapore has invested heavily in the F-35 project since 2003. It is hard to imagine that it will suddenly abandon the purchase of such fighters.”
CNN: This is a signal to China.
Although Singapore is a city country, it is not soft in the army building. It often buys some advanced military equipment that does not seem to be in line with the country's size, so it will not fall in the small arms race in Southeast Asia.
In July last year, Huang Yonghong emphasized that "effective protection of airspace" is crucial to the defense of small country Singapore. Therefore, the Singapore Air Force must maintain its leading position in the region. Several neighboring countries in Southeast Asia are generally equipped with third-generation dual-engine heavy fighters. Indonesia is also cooperating with South Korea to develop the next generation of stealth fighters. In this context, it is not surprising that Singapore has finally made up its mind to buy the US F-35.
Singapore Air Force's F-15SG, several regional neighbors Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam are also equipped with comparable dual-engine heavy fighters (wikimedia commons map)
However, for Singapore's procurement plan, CNN has been able to link it to China and believes that it is "transmitting signals" to China.
The article quoted Timothy Heath, senior defense analyst at the US think tank Rand, as saying: "Beijing should see from this incident that the demand for the United States in the Asia-Pacific region is still strong." He takes the South China Sea and the East China Sea. As an example, the alliance of the F-35 troops has increased the possibility of joint operations of these countries when necessary.
Peter Layton, a defense analyst at the Griffith Asia Institute in Australia, believes that buying F-35 in Singapore may prompt China to think about how to improve its air defense network in the South China Sea and how to detect it on ships. Measure and target the F-35 stealth fighter.
However, although Singapore's purchase of the F-35 is a "strong signal" to China, analysts agree that Singapore is sending these signals cautiously.
Huang Yonghong did not mention China when he announced the purchase plan. He only said that these fighters "will greatly enhance the ability of the Air Force to maintain Singapore's sovereignty and security."
Singapore’s Defense Minister Huang Yonghong from the “Lianhe Zaobao” Singapore’s Defense Minister Huang Yonghong from the Lianhe Zaobao
Heath believes that despite the good relations between Singapore and the United States, Singapore is often reluctant to play a leading role in challenging China because of its small size and its close economic ties with China.
“Singapore doesn’t want to anger China, but tends to act quietly,” added Carl Schuster, former chief of operations at the US Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center. “Singapore believes that its role is a promoter of regional security and stability. Not a member of an alliance for any particular country."
Observer network military commentator pointed out that Singapore, as a city in the Malacca Strait, its security environment is closely related to the smooth flow of the Straits of Malacca, and the United States, which protects the freedom of international routes, uses the Straits of Malacca as a US military in wartime. Controlled one of the world's most important sea lanes. The United States has long provided the Singaporean army with the convenience of purchasing American-made advanced weapons. The Singapore Changi Naval Base is also one of the most important naval bases for the US Navy in Southeast Asia. Singapore's purchase of the F-35 indicates that it has not changed or adjusted its attitude toward the United States on security issues.
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