WASHINGTON: The United States on Tuesday (Jan 20) announced the approval of a US$2.3 billion sale of P-8A maritime patrol aircraft, torpedoes and related equipment to Singapore.
“The proposed sale will improve Singapore’s capability to meet current and future threats by providing a credible maritime force capable of deterring adversaries,” the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement.
It will “enhance the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a strategic partner that is an important force for political stability and economic progress in Asia”, DSCA added.
The State Department approved the possible sale of the equipment to Singapore, and DSCA provided the required notification to the US Congress, which still needs to sign off on the transaction.
Singapore announced its decision to acquire four Boeing P-8As in 2025.
The planes will replace the existing Fokker-50s – which have been in use for over three decades – and could enter service in the early 2030s, Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing said in September last year.
This is part of the first phase of the Singapore Armed Forces’ refresh of its maritime security capabilities, the Singapore Ministry of Defence said then.