SINGAPORE: The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) will acquire three Gulfstream G550 maritime surveillance aircraft to provide better early warning of maritime threats, Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing said on Friday (Feb 27).
“This supports the SAF’s mission in safeguarding Singapore’s sea lines of communication as part of Singapore’s maritime security surveillance network,” Mr Chan said in parliament as he laid out the defence ministry’s spending plans for the year.
The sea lines of communication are major maritime routes used for various purposes, including trade.
The G550 aircraft is equipped with radar systems, electro-optical and infrared cameras, as well as communication and identification systems.
These allow it to detect, identify and track a range of potential maritime threats, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said in a media release.
Each aircraft is 29.8m long with a wingspan of 28.5m, and can accommodate two pilots and up to six crew members.
The new Gulfstream 550s will complement the four Boeing P-8A maritime patrol aircraft announced in September last year.
Mr Chan said the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will also continue to use unmanned platforms for new concepts of operations and pair them with manned platforms.
He highlighted the Republic of Singapore Navy's multi-role combat vessel (MRCV) that is designed to function as a "mothership" for unmanned systems.
The first of six MRCVs was launched in October 2025 and christened Victory.
The minister said that the second MRCV is on track to be launched in the third quarter of this year.
Mr Chan told parliament that MINDEF's first commitment was a "steady, consistent and disciplined way" of approaching defence expenditure.
He added: “Going forward, I expect the growth in defence spending to keep pace with our GDP growth, barring major shocks. However, if the need arises, we will be prepared to do more.”
In his Budget statement on Feb 12, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said the defence budget would remain at 3 per cent of the gross domestic product, although this could change if circumstances called for it.
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“This supports the SAF’s mission in safeguarding Singapore’s sea lines of communication as part of Singapore’s maritime security surveillance network,” Mr Chan said in parliament as he laid out the defence ministry’s spending plans for the year.
The sea lines of communication are major maritime routes used for various purposes, including trade.
The G550 aircraft is equipped with radar systems, electro-optical and infrared cameras, as well as communication and identification systems.
These allow it to detect, identify and track a range of potential maritime threats, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said in a media release.
Each aircraft is 29.8m long with a wingspan of 28.5m, and can accommodate two pilots and up to six crew members.
The new Gulfstream 550s will complement the four Boeing P-8A maritime patrol aircraft announced in September last year.
Mr Chan said the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will also continue to use unmanned platforms for new concepts of operations and pair them with manned platforms.
He highlighted the Republic of Singapore Navy's multi-role combat vessel (MRCV) that is designed to function as a "mothership" for unmanned systems.
The first of six MRCVs was launched in October 2025 and christened Victory.
The minister said that the second MRCV is on track to be launched in the third quarter of this year.
Mr Chan told parliament that MINDEF's first commitment was a "steady, consistent and disciplined way" of approaching defence expenditure.
He added: “Going forward, I expect the growth in defence spending to keep pace with our GDP growth, barring major shocks. However, if the need arises, we will be prepared to do more.”
In his Budget statement on Feb 12, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said the defence budget would remain at 3 per cent of the gross domestic product, although this could change if circumstances called for it.
Continue reading...