<p class="title">Singapore plans to buy four US-made F-35 jet fighters -- one of the most advanced warplanes ever built -- to update its ageing current fleet, the defence minister said Friday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The city-state, which has one of Asia's best-equipped militaries, announced in January it had opted for the Lockheed Martin jets over rivals from Europe and China, and planned to first buy a small number before deciding on a full fleet.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Giving an update on the plans, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen told parliament that Singapore "will request an initial acquisition of four F-35s, with the option of a subsequent eight if we decide to proceed".</p>.<p class="bodytext">The current price of F-35 ranges from $90 million to $115 million, he said, adding the cost had been steadily falling due to healthy orders from around the world.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Ng said the sale had to be approved by US Congress but had the backing of the US administration.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Singapore has for several years been assessing which fighter jet should replace its current fleet of F-16s, which are due to be taken out of service in around a decade.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The F-35 is a supersonic plane whose advanced stealth characteristic allow pilots to avoid detection by radars, according to Lockheed Martin.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Its advanced electronic warfare capabilities enable pilots to locate and track enemy forces, jam radars and disrupt attacks.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Singapore military also has F-15 fighter jets, Apache helicopters and submarines in its arsenal.</p>
<p class="title">Singapore plans to buy four US-made F-35 jet fighters -- one of the most advanced warplanes ever built -- to update its ageing current fleet, the defence minister said Friday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The city-state, which has one of Asia's best-equipped militaries, announced in January it had opted for the Lockheed Martin jets over rivals from Europe and China, and planned to first buy a small number before deciding on a full fleet.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Giving an update on the plans, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen told parliament that Singapore "will request an initial acquisition of four F-35s, with the option of a subsequent eight if we decide to proceed".</p>.<p class="bodytext">The current price of F-35 ranges from $90 million to $115 million, he said, adding the cost had been steadily falling due to healthy orders from around the world.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Ng said the sale had to be approved by US Congress but had the backing of the US administration.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Singapore has for several years been assessing which fighter jet should replace its current fleet of F-16s, which are due to be taken out of service in around a decade.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The F-35 is a supersonic plane whose advanced stealth characteristic allow pilots to avoid detection by radars, according to Lockheed Martin.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Its advanced electronic warfare capabilities enable pilots to locate and track enemy forces, jam radars and disrupt attacks.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Singapore military also has F-15 fighter jets, Apache helicopters and submarines in its arsenal.</p>