A US Marine Corps F-35B fighter jet takes off from José Aponte de la Torre Airport, formerly Roosevelt Roads Naval Station, in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, on December 15, 2025. — AFP pic By Malay Mail First Published: Friday, 04 Sep 2026 11:47 AM MYT SINGAPORE, Sept 4 — Singapore’s acquisition of 20 F-35 stealth fighters and related equipment is worth US$4.06 billion (RM16.4 billion), according to a US government report that marks the first official disclosure of the programme’s total cost.The report, published in April and made public on August 3, also sets out new details on when the fifth-generation aircraft will be delivered and where they will be based, The Straits Times reported.The first F-35 destined for the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is expected to be delivered to a US airbase by the end of 2026, while Singapore is not expected to begin housing the jets locally until 2029.Of the 20 aircraft ordered, 12 are F-35Bs, which the report said will be permanently stationed at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Arkansas, where RSAF personnel will undergo training.The F-35B is capable of short take-offs and vertical landings, allowing it to operate from shorter runways and giving Singapore greater flexibility given its limited land area.Then defence minister Ng Eng Hen told Parliament in February 2024 that the aircraft’s capabilities would provide “more operational flexibility”.Singapore initially ordered four F-35Bs in 2019, with an option for another eight. That proposed sale was valued by the US government at about US$2.75 billion.The Ministry of Defence (Mindef) exercised the option for the additional eight aircraft in 2023.The remaining eight aircraft in Singapore’s planned F-35 fleet are F-35As, which are expected to be based at Tengah Air Base.The US report said Mindef has begun designing a main operating base in Singapore for the F-35As, with the facility expected to be operational in the fourth quarter of the US fiscal year 2029, which runs from October 1, 2028, to September 30, 2029.The F-35A has a greater weapons payload and range than the F-35B, carrying up to 8,160kg compared with 6,800kg for the F-35B. It can also fly up to about 2,200km, against roughly 1,667km for the F-35B.When contacted, Mindef referred The Straits Times to a media response issued on February 9 in which it said details of the aircraft’s local delivery and basing arrangements had yet to be finalised.The ministry said it would release more information once plans were firmed up, adding that the timeline and basing arrangements would depend on the wider project schedule and training requirements.The F-35s are intended to replace Singapore’s ageing fleet of F-16 fighter jets.Mindef had not previously disclosed the total cost of the acquisition.