Singapore to buy new submarines, infantry fighting vehicles and maritime patrol aircraft for the SAF

Mike Yeo
MAR 03, 2025

SINGAPORE – Singapore plans to procure two new submarines, and new infantry fighting vehicles with anti-drone capabilities, as well as replace its maritime patrol aircraft in the coming years.

These hardware upgrades are part of the Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF) plan for a military that is fit for Singapore’s security purposes, especially amid a fast-changing global order, said Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen on March 3 during the debate on the Ministry of Defence’s (Mindef) budget.

Mindef’s projected expenditure for financial year 2025 is around $23.4 billion, or 12.4 per cent higher than the year before. Dr Ng said this is due to the ministry catching up on projects deferred or disrupted due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and is expected to taper down from FY2026 and keep within 3 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) over the next decade.

On the submarines, Dr Ng noted that the Republic of Singapore Navy’s submarine programme is on track, with all four German custom-made submarines to be operational around 2028.

In April 2024, Singapore launched the fourth Invincible-class submarine at the thyssenkrupp Marine Systems shipyard in the German port city of Kiel.

But four submarines are not optimal for a submarine fleet, said Dr Ng. This is due to the vessels requiring more rigorous and frequent maintenance cycles as they operate under intense pressure.

Operational time is conversely relatively reduced, and is why most navies that operate submarines – such as Australia, Indonesia and Vietnam – have more than four, he added.

“Having proven that the Invincible-class submarines can perform to expectations in tropical waters, the SAF plans to procure two more, to make up a total of six, as the steady state for our submarine fleet,” he said.

On land, the army will be fielding a new infantry fighting vehicle. Named the Titan, the new vehicle will be wheeled like the Terrex that is currently in use, but will have significantly enhanced firepower in the form of a 30mm cannon and counter-drone capabilities.

The army’s High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (Himars) will also be upgraded to integrate newer and more capable rockets.

Meanwhile, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) will replace its Fokker-50 maritime patrol aircraft, which has been in operation since 1993. Mindef is currently evaluating options that include the Boeing P-8A Poseidon and the Airbus C295, said Dr Ng.

He also updated the House that the acquisition of eight more F-35A fighter jets that he announced in 2024 has been confirmed, which will add to the 12 F-35Bs that Singapore had earlier purchased.

“These moves reflect the strength of our defence relationship with the US, and the continued commitment to a multi-decade partnership,” said Dr Ng. “And we thank the US for their support.”

With these added capabilities for air, land and sea, the SAF as a relatively small military would have transformed itself with state-of-the-art platforms comparable with advanced militaries elsewhere, and be fit for Singapore’s security purposes, he added.

Strengthening partnerships

While the Republic must be self-reliant in defence, Dr Ng said, Singapore also needs to expand and strengthen its network of friends and partners, where interests align.

This includes historical relationships such as the Five Power Defence Arrangements with Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, which is now in its 54th year, and partnerships with close neighbours such as Indonesia and Malaysia.

Singapore’s defence relations with the US and China also continue to grow, with high-level exchanges with both countries, he added.

Dr Ng noted that he had co-chaired the Singapore-China Defence Ministers’ Dialogue in May 2024 alongside Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun, on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue.

Dr Ng also spoke at the 11th Xiangshan Forum in Beijing, and had a dialogue with senior People’s Liberation Army (PLA) commanders at the PLA National Defence University (NDU). He also met General Zhang Youxia, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC).

Chaired by President Xi Jinping, the CMC is the highest military decision-making body in China, with operational authority over all its armed forces, while the Defence Ministry primarily handles China’s defence diplomacy and military exchanges.

“My delegation and I acknowledge and appreciate the privileged access to both vice-chairman Zhang and the pinnacle commander class at their NDU,” said Dr Ng. “During these meetings, we affirmed the good military-to-military interactions that we have through various exercises, and high-level meetings and plans to step up further interactions.”

With the US, Singapore is a Major Security Cooperation Partner that has extensive collaborations with its military and the Department of Defence.

While the Republic is not a treaty ally, it is plain that military engagements and mutual benefits between both countries have grown over the years, Dr Ng added.

He noted that all the RSAF’s high-end fighting platforms, such as the F-15s and the coming F-35s, are manufactured by and purchased from US companies, alongside other high-end weapon platforms.

“Singapore invests heavily into our own defence and the US appreciates this fact,” he said.

Noting that President Donald Trump and then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had in 2019 renewed a key defence pact that allows American forces to use Singapore’s air and naval bases, Dr Ng said he looked forward to further strengthening defence relations with the US under the current Trump administration.

Video: Singapore's strategic Military Upgrades (Budget 2025)