Singapore will be the first in history to use F-35B fighters from ground bases

In 2019, Singapore signed a contract to buy four fifth-generation F-35B Lightning II fighter jets with deliveries through 2026 and the option to increase the order to 12 units. The country's Air Force is known to have exercised this option.

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Costing $2.75 billion for the first contract, Singapore's Ministry of Defence has announced the purchase of eight more F-35B fifth-generation fighter jets. The decision was made after an evaluation of the F-35A and F-35B with the assistance of the US Air Force and the Marine Corps.

The Lockheed Martin fighters will replace the fourth-generation F-16C/D Fighting Falcon aircraft, which will be retired by the middle of the next decade. The F-35B is a short takeoff and vertical landing variant, which makes it more expensive than the standard F-35A.

Interestingly, Singapore will become the first country in history to operate the F3-35B Lightning II from land bases rather than aircraft carriers. The aircraft's ability to take off without the need for a long runway will be useful in a war situation where the base infrastructure is damaged.

Source: The RSAF