Singapore shortlist announced…

Ex Straits Times

European warplanes dominate Mindef shortlist
Three picked for the new fighter deal are the Eurofighter Typhoon, French Dassault Rafale and US’ Strike Eagle

By David Boey

THE much-anticipated short- list of three aircraft for the Defence Ministry’s new fighter deal that is said to be worth more than US$1 billion (S$1.7 billion) was announced yesterday, with some surprises.

The American-made F-16, the mainstay fighter of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), did not make the final cut. And American manufacturers’ stranglehold on RSAF fighter contracts could be broken, with two of the three contenders being from Europe.

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Apart from the British-made Hawker Hunters bought in the late 1960s, every RSAF fighter since then has been American made.

Leading the European challenge are the Typhoon made by the Eurofighter consortium – which groups warplane makers from Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain – and the Rafale from French giant Dassault Aviation. The sole US representative is Boeing’s F-15T Strike Eagle.

The three were selected from an original six aircraft that were part of the tender to replace the RSAF’s ageing A-4SU Super Skyhawk fighter-bombers.

Failing to make the cut were – the Lockheed Martin F-16E/F Fighting Falcon and the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet – both from the US – and the Sukhoi Su-30MK from Russia.

Mindef expects to buy about 20 of the new fighters and said the final selection will ‘most probably be made in late-2004 or 2005’.

‘The exact timing will depend on the evaluation progress,’ said a spokesman.

Although the contract size of 20 fighters is small by industry standards, the deal is being watched closely because Mindef’s rigorous evaluation will boost the selected manufacturers’ chances of marketing their warplanes elsewhere.

Industry sources also say that the elimination of the F-16s, the only single-engined fighter evaluated by Mindef, indicates that the air force could be gunning for aircraft that can fly further and carry heavier weapon loads.

Asked how the final three were chosen, Mindef said it had looked at several factors like operational performance, the availability of spares, the cost of operating the aircraft over its lifespan and the potential for it to be upgraded.

More technical and flight evaluations will follow before a final selection is made.