Singapore defence minister sees F-35 jets in action

A defence delegation of Singapore led by Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen saw the United States Marine Corps F-35B fighter jets in action at a U.S. base, local media reported on Thursday. Ng, who was on a visit in the Luke Air Force Base in the United States, said that it was just a visit and that Singapore is still in the process of considering whether to buy the F-35 fighter jet or not, local Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao reported. Singapore is not in a hurry to make decisions on the F-35 project yet as its current fleet of fighter jets are considered sufficient, Ng was quoted as saying. Ng spent ten minutes to see the F-35 B-model, which flied from the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma about 280 km away. He also took a look at the cockpit of the fighter jet. Another fighter jet of the same model was used to demonstrate the various actions it is capable of, including vertical landing. The Marine Corps operates the F-35 B-model, which takes off from shorter runways and lands like a helicopter. It is configured differently from the F-35A variant used by the U.S. Air Force, which takes off and lands in a conventional manner. Singapore is considering buying F-35s in the future, but has not yet committed to an order or a timetable. Ng's visit to the Luke Air Force Base was part of Forging Saber, a Singapore Armed Forces integrated strike exercise held at the base, Singapore's Ministry of Defense said. The exercise involves about 700 servicemen and will be conducted till next Tuesday.