Singapore plans to buy F-35 jets ‘for evaluation’ – defense minister

Singapore’s defense minister has said that Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jets were the most suitable replacement for its F-16 fleet, and it planned to buy “a few planes first” for evaluation. Defense agencies have decided that the F-35 would be the most suitable replacement fighter, Ng Eng Hen said in a Facebook post on Friday. “We want to procure a few planes first, to fully evaluate the capabilities of the F-35 before deciding on the acquisition of a full fleet,” he added. Singapore’s fleet of around 60 F-16 jets is nearing the end of its service life, Reuters said.