Hanoi (VNA) - Singapore has chosen the US’s F-35warplane to replace its ageing fighter jets, its Defence Ministry said onJanuary 18.
Accordingly, the F-16s will have to retire soon after 2030and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has been identified as the most suitable replacementto maintain the Singapore Air Force capabilities.
The ministry said the air force should first buy "asmall number" of F-35s for a full evaluation of their capabilities andsuitability before deciding on a full fleet.
Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said on January 18 that it tookSingapore more than five years to make a decision as they had to look carefullyat specifications and what was needed.
Singaporean agencies will now have to speak to their UScounterparts to move the process forward, he said.
It is expected to take 9-12 months to finalise terms in thedeal.
Singapore earlier said it was evaluating Lockheed Martin'sF-35 along with Europe's Eurofighter Typhoon and Chinese-made stealth warplanes.
The F-35, one of the world's most advanced fighter jets, accountsfor about a quarter of Lockheed Martin's total revenue.-VNA
Singapore’s parliament on January 14 passed a law on payment services, including regulations on digital payment to bolster the country’s cashless payments.
The 18th ASEAN+3 Tourism Ministers Meeting took place in Ha Long city, the northeastern province of Quang Ninh on January 18 as part of the activities of the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2019 (ATF 2019).
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh has called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to consider solidarity, unity, and its central role as core priorities orienting all of its activities.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and EAEU Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev jointly declared the conclusion of FTA talks on the sidelines of the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025), according to the statement.
The article stressed that throughout his revolutionary career, the founder of modern Vietnam consistently regarded the revolutionary press as a vital part of the Vietnamese Party’s and nation’s revolutionary struggle.
Pichai said the trade talks with the US are important and need to move forward professionally, without regard for any political changes in Thailand, believing that Thailand has clear principles, guidelines and procedures in place.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
Efforts to empower women must transcend dialogue and translate into concrete commitments, including corporate pledges and government partnerships, according to the spouse of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The forum featured two in-depth discussion sessions, engaging representatives from governments, think tanks, and businesses from both ASEAN and China, on how to forge closer ties for a common future.
The new FIFA Hub in Jakarta will not only support football development in Indonesia but also serve as a coordination centre for 21 football associations across Southeast and East Asia.
Minister Counselor Nguyen Hoang Nguyen reaffirmed Vietnam’s principled and consistent stance on the Palestine issue, calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire across the entire Gaza Strip.
PM Anwar Ibrahim affirmed the determination of Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair for 2025, to utilise all viable regional mechanisms of the bloc and work with partners to de-escalate violence and restore a peace process led by Myanmar.
F-35 aircraft (Source: Lockheed Martin) 
