f35b-sg
Why is Singapore (reportedly) looking at the F-35B?
This article first appeared on the Base Leg blog on the 6th of October, 2011
Stephen Trimble's (aka
@thedewline)
piece on Flightglobal regarding the
F-35B's recent flightdeck tests on the deck of the USS Wasp contained this
nugget:
"Meanwhile, Singapore - a security co-operation participant in the F-35 joint
programme office - has launched studies aimed at considering the STOVL (Ed:
Short Take Off Vertical Landing) variant, said Gregg Pyers, lift fan
programme director for UK-based Rolls-Royce."
It has always struck me as slightly odd that up to now, there were no
indications that Singapore, a strategic, heavily-defended small island-state
less than 50km from one end to another has seemingly never seriously considered
(not publicly, anyway) VSTOL/STOVL solutions for its air force. One can assume
that even had the RSAF looked into such capabilities before, the only realistic
contender prior to the F-35, the Harrier, did not "bring enough to the table"
in terms of combat capabilities to warrant introducing a new type (with its
associated support requirements) into the inventory.

Then again, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has several measures in
place to mitigate any attempt to restrict its air operations, including
hardened/camouflaged airbases, a
well-established runway repair capability, main taxiways which serve as
secondary runways and
public
roads which double up as emergency runways should the need arise. And until
the
procurement by neighbouring Malaysia of the Brazilian ASTROS Multiple Rocket
Launcher system, its nearest potential adversaries had little capability of
putting its runways out of action, and even so, it was unlikely that any
adversary will be able to sustain any operation to keep the RSAF's runways
closed for an extended period of time.
Still, a squadron of easily-dispersed STOVL-capable assets would ensure that
the RSAF would be able to keep up combat air operations even in the event of
it's runways being out of action, even for a short period of time. Knowing that
the RSAF retains an air combat capability even without runways in operation
would complicate any adversary's calculations in attempting a first strike to
negate Singapore's defences.

There is another dimension in
Singapore's interest in the F-35B. At Euronaval 2010 in Paris and again at
Singapore's International Maritime and Defence Exhibition (IMDEX) in May 2011,
defence contractor Singapore Technologies (ST) Marine displayed a scale model
of a Multi-Role Support Ship based on its Endurance 140 Landing Platform Dock (LPD)
design. Looking suspiciously like a miniature Landing Helicopter Dock, or LHD
in US Navy parlance and designated the Endurance 160, the design displaces
14,500 tonnes, measures approximately 163m by 26m and is equipped with 5 deck
spots for helicopters and 2 elevators.
The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) already operates 4 Endurance 140s, and
while Singapore has not officially announced the purchase of any Endurance
160s, a reported
offer of an Endurance 140 for the Chilean Navy may point to the RSN looking
to free up personnel to crew other (newer?) ships.
Studying the Endurance 160 model, the deck elevators as displayed are too small
for F-35Bs to be struck belowdecks which would preclude sustained operations,
but it is still entirely possible for a detachment of F-35Bs to operate from
the flight deck for short operations. Alternatively a larger lift could be
incorporated into the design, either expanding the size of one of the elevators
(which has the effect of reducing hangar space) or adding a deck edge elevator
to operate the fighters.
A bigger issue would be the length of the flight deck, being too short for
F-35B operations (550ft/168m being the minimum for F-35B operations on a
conventional flight deck) or the addition of a ski jump which would reduce the
F-35B's take off distance to 450ft/137m. Should the RSN purchase the Endurance
160, having F-35Bs would maximize the capabilities of such a vessel, albeit
requiring a widening and lengthening the existing flight deck design
(among other changes).
It would be interesting to see how the this study on the F-35B's suitability
for the RSAF, presumably carried out by Singapore's Defence Science and
Technology Agency, pans out. With the advent of the 5th Generation F-35 and a
level of parts/logistics commonality with the Conventional Take-off Landing
F-35A variant, it seems Singapore's defence planners have seen something in the
STOVL F-35B worth looking further into.
Then again, the cynic in me reckons the statement could just be a marketing
plug by Rolls Royce to keep the
troubled F-35B, and hence Rolls Royce's own lift fan programme, alive by
advertising the presence of another potential export customer.
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