Singapore to Buy Eurosam Aster 30 / SAMP-T Surface-to-Air Missile Air Defense System

According to Singapore's Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) will acquire the Eurosam Aster 30 / SAMP-T Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Air Defense System to establish a multi-layered defense against aerial threats.

If Singapore goes ahead and signs a contract, Singapore will become the first export customer of the Aster 30 / SAMP-T system, which is currently only in service with France and Italy. Both countries and the United Kingdom also use the naval version of the Aster 30 SAM.

The Defense Minister did not say when or how many systems Singapore intends to acquire, but Singapore already uses the shorter ranged Aster 15 with its six Formidable class frigates it bought from France and which are compatible with the Aster 30 SAM.

The Aster 30 / SAMP-T system will replace the American HAWK system and will be complemented by the short-range SPYDER system which Singapore acquired earlier from Israel.

Second Archer Class Submarine Commissioned By Singapore

The RSS Swordsman, the second Archer class diesel-electric submarine has been commissioned in Singapore, where it will join the RSS Archer, which was commissioned in 2011.

The two submarines are the former Västergötland class submarines from the Swedish Navy. They were commissioned in the late eighties and sold to Singapore in 2005.

They have been adopted to local conditions, refurbished and upgraded by Sweden's Kockums before being delivered to Singapore. The Archer class specifications are:

• A crew of 28
• A length of 60.5 m
• A beam of 6.1 m
• A speed of 8 kn surfaced and 15 kn submerged
• A displacement of 1400 tonnes surfaced and 1500 tonnes submerged

The hull has also been extended to accommodate a Swedish Stirling Air Independent Propulsion module to allow the submarines to stay submerged for extended periods of time.

Besides the Archer class, Singapore also has four Challenger class diesel-electric submarines in service since the late nineties. The Challenger class specifications are:

• A crew of 28
• A length of 51 m
• A beam of 6.1 m
• A speed of 10 kn surfaced and 16 kn submerged
• A displacement of 1130 tonnes surfaced and 1200 tonnes submerged

These too were formerly in Swedish service as the Sjöormen class.



http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/press_room/official_releases/nr/2013/apr/30apr13_nr.html

By Peter Nilsson (Kockums AB) [Attribution], via Wikimedia Commons

Singapore to buy 100 AIM-120C7 AMRAAM and 20 AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder missiles

Singapore has requested the purchase of air-to-missiles from the United States for its F-15SG fighter aircraft.  As required, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified the US Congress of a possible sale of missiles and related equipment.

The first is for 100 AIM-120C7 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) in a $210 million contract. The second is for 20 AIM-9X Sidewinder Within Visual Range Air-to-Air missiles in a contract worth about $36 million.

Both sales would be concluded through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route. The AMRAAM contract includes:

• 100 AIM-120C7 AMRAAM missiles
• an AMRAAM Programmable Advanced System Interface Simulator (PASIS)
• 10 AMRAAM Spare Guidance Sections
• 18 AN/AVS-9(V) Night Vision Goggles
• H-764G with GEM V Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM)
• Common Munitions Built-in-Test Reprogramming Equipment (CMBRE-Plus)

The AIM-9X contract includes:

• 20 AIM 9X-2 SIDEWINDER Block II All Up Round Missiles
• 8 CATM-9X-2 Captive Air Training Missiles
• 5 CATM-9X-2 Block II Missile Guidance units
• 2 AIM-9X-2 Block II Tactical Guidance units

Other tools and test equipment, technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment is included.

The AIM-9X is the latest version of a long line of short-range air-to-air missiles. The Block II includes Lock-On After Launch (LOAL) capability with a datalink. The AIM-9X specifications are:

• a length of 3 m
• a diameter of 127 mm
• a finspan of 280 mm
• a weigth of 85 kg
• a warhead of 9.4 kg

The AIM-9X is guided by an imaging infrared seeker.

The AIM-120C7 is the last version of the AMRAAM family before the introduction of the AIM-120D missile.Its specifications are:

• a length of 3.66 m
• a diameter of 178 mm
• a finspan of 447 mm
• a weight of 157 kg
• a warhead of 18 kg

The AIM-120 is guided by an active radar seeker.

Singapore first ordered about 12 F-15SG, a variant of the F-15E Strike Eagle, which was selected over the French Dassault Rafale. It later placed additional orders to bring the total number of aircraft on order to 24.


http://www.dsca.mil/PressReleases/36-b/2013/Singapore_13-03.pdf

http://www.dsca.mil/PressReleases/36-b/2013/Singapore_13-04.pdf

By U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Christopher K. Hwang [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

By ILA-boy [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons