F-35 fighter jets most suitable replacement for F-16 fleet: Singapore's DefMin

Singapore's defence minister said on Friday that Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter jets were the most suitable replacement for its F-16 fleet, and it planned to buy "a few planes first" for evaluation. "They (defence agencies) have decided that the F-35 would be the most suitable replacement fighter," Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said in a Facebook post. "We want to procure a few planes first, to fully evaluate the capabilities of the F-35 before deciding on the acquisition of a full fleet," he added. Singapore's fleet of around 60 F-16 jets are nearing the end of their service life.