Singapore’s Ministry of Defence has confirmed the cancellation of a plan to base up to 12 Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) F-15SG fighter jets at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.
The decision was made jointly by Singapore and the US, with Washington pointing to findings from an environmental impact assessment and Singapore citing a review of its F-15 training needs.
The proposal, first outlined in December 2023 under a 2019 bilateral memorandum of understanding, aimed to establish an RSAF F-15 training detachment in Guam by 2029. Despite its withdrawal, Singapore will continue to conduct short-term training in Guam, including an exercise scheduled for October–November.
US Air Force Record of Decision
In July, the US Department of the Air Force issued its “Final Environmental Impact Statement” for the planned F-15 beddown and related infrastructure upgrades. While the aircraft deployment and munitions area expansion have been scrapped, new facilities will still be built on Andersen AFB’s northwest runway.
These works will include 20 acres of additional airfield pavements, fuel lines, and access roads, expanding space for aircraft parking, maintenance, refueling, loading, and unloading.
Singapore’s Overseas Training Footprint
Due to limited land and airspace, Singapore regularly trains abroad. The RSAF operates F-16s from Luke AFB (Arizona), F-15s from Mountain Home AFB (Idaho), and AH-64 helicopters from Silverbell Army Heliport (Arizona).
Had the Guam detachment proceeded, it would have been Singapore’s fourth permanent air unit in the US and the closest to Southeast Asia. Separately, Singapore is preparing to establish its future F-35 training unit at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas, alongside other training facilities in Australia and France.
