Singapore to permanently station F-35B fighter jets at U.S. base
FORUM Staff
Singapore will permanently station 12 F-35B fifth-generation stealth fighter jets at a United States military base beginning in late 2026, expanding a decades-long partnership that includes the U.S. hosting Singaporean fighter jet detachments for training and exercises.
Singapore, densely populated with 6.2 million residents in a land area of less than 750 square kilometers, has limited space for defense assets and military training. Some of its fighter pilots, along with those from Allies and Partners including Finland, Germany, Poland and Switzerland, train with U.S. forces at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
“Stationing the F-35Bs at Ebbing will give them large, unrestricted training airspace and allow pilots to access experienced U.S. instructors and other F-35 partner nations,” the EurAsian Times website reported in September 2026. “Additionally, it will enable high-tempo flying and give Singapore’s crew access to complex multinational tactics that are difficult to replicate in [Singapore] due to air constraints.”
Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) will spend $4 billion to buy 20 of the U.S.-made F-35 Lightning II aircraft. The aircraft that will deploy to Arkansas can take off and land vertically and hover. The jet can carry a 6,800-kilogram weapons payload and has a flying range of 1,667 kilometers.
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Eight F-35A jets require a standard runway and will operate from Singapore’s Tengah Air Base beginning in 2029. The aircraft has a weapons payload of 8,160 kilograms and a range of 2,200 kilometers.
The purchase is an important modernization step for the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF). The F-35s will replace a fleet of F-16 fighters. The RSAF also deploys F-15SG fighters. The F-35s will help “meet our operational requirements and maintain a strong fighter fleet to safeguard Singapore’s skies,” MINDEF stated.
Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the U.S. also operate or are acquiring F-35 fighters, enhancing interoperability among Indo-Pacific Allies and Partners, National Defense magazine reported in February 2026.
In addition to RSAF fighter jet detachments, the U.S. hosts more than 1,000 Singaporean military personnel for training, the U.S. State Department reported.
Singapore plays “an indispensable role” supporting Indo-Pacific security, the U.S. State Department said, including cooperation on border and maritime security, military preparedness, counterproliferation, cybersecurity, and counterterrorism. Annual bilateral exercises include Pacific Griffin, Tiger Balm, Valiant Mark and Commando Sling.
