Singapore steps toward F-16 upgrade

Singapore has officially stated its intention to upgrade its Lockheed Martin F-16 C/D aircraft according Defence Minister in comments to the parliament. The plan is to upgrade avionics and extend lifespan.
This is the first time that Singapore has publicly stated its intention to upgrade its F-16s. Industry observers have long expected that Singapore will upgrade some, if not all, of its 60 F-16s. The upgrade it is likely to commence in 2015.
A key element of any Singapore F-16 upgrade will be the addition of an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. Raytheon will pitch its Raytheon Advanced Combat Radar (RACR) and Northrop Grumman its Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) for this part of the requirement.
In South Korea earlier this year, Raytheon and BAE Systems won contracts to upgrade 134 Block-standard F-16s.
Defence Minister also reiterated Singapore's interest in the Lockheed Martin F-35. Media reports and US officials have said that Singapore is likely to buy the F-35B short take-off and vertical landing variant of the aircraft.
flightglobal