Singapore’s Ministry of Defence has confirmed that plans to station up to 12 Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) F-15SG fighter jets at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam have been cancelled. The decision was reached jointly with the US, with Washington citing environmental impact concerns and Singapore pointing to a review of its training needs.
The proposal, announced in December 2023 and based on a 2019 defense agreement, aimed to set up an RSAF F-15 training detachment in Guam by 2029. Although the permanent deployment has been shelved, Singapore will continue short-term training exercises in Guam, including one scheduled for October to November.
In July, the US Air Force issued a record of decision on the environmental review, confirming the halt to the RSAF F-15 beddown and related munitions storage upgrades. However, it will proceed with infrastructure development at Andersen AFB, including 20 acres of new airfield pavements, fuel lines, and roadways for aircraft support operations.
Singapore regularly trains its air force overseas due to limited space at home, with existing detachments in the US, Australia, and France. The scrapped Guam plan would have been its fourth US-based unit and the closest to Southeast Asia. Work continues with the US to establish the RSAF’s future F-35 training unit at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas.
