30 June 2020

Helicopter, submarine deliveries to Singapore delayed because of Covid-19

by Gabriel Dominguez

Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) is expecting the delivery of the first of four Invincible (Type 218SG)-class submarines for the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) as well as the handover of the first Airbus Helicopters H225M medium-lift and CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters for the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) to be delayed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking to reporters via video conference ahead of Singapore Armed Forces Day on 1 July, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said initial deliveries of the CH-47F and H225M rotorcraft, which were originally scheduled for the end of 2020, are now expected to take place in 2021.

Similarly, “for our Invincible-class submarine, our previous timeline was 2021. There will be some slippage; this will now be in 2022”, said Ng, pointing out that the pandemic has affected manpower and supply chains globally.

That said, the minister stated that the acquisition process for Lockheed Martin F-35B short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) Joint Strike Fighters (JSFs) remains on track, with the RSAF expecting to take delivery of four of these aircraft around 2026. The Singaporean government has requested an initial batch of four F-35Bs with the option to acquire an additional eight.

Invincible , the first of four Type 218SG submarines on order for the RSN, is seen here during a launch ceremony held in Kiel, Germany, in February 2019. Handover of the boat is expected to be deferred to 2022 owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. (ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems)

For the RSN, the replacement of six Victory-class missile corvettes with an equal number of Multi-Role Combat Vessels (MRCVs) is also on schedule, with delivery of the new vessels expected by 2030.

Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) is expecting the delivery of the first of four Invincible (...

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