Singapore will become the first country in Southeast Asia to operate the Boeing P-8A Poseidon after the U.S. State Department approved a US$2.3 billion Foreign Military Sale on January 20, 2026, covering four aircraft along with torpedoes, mission systems, support equipment, and training to replace the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s aging Fokker 50 fleet.
Built on the Boeing 737-800 airframe, the P-8A will significantly expand Singapore’s maritime patrol, anti-submarine, anti-surface, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities, offering patrol reach beyond 1,200 nautical miles and endurance of more than 10 hours—well beyond the Fokker 50’s operational limits.
According to the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the acquisition strengthens Singapore’s ability to deter current and future threats and to operate seamlessly with US allies, placing the city-state alongside established P-8 users such as Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and India while making it Southeast Asia’s most advanced maritime surveillance power.
Defense Minister Chan Chun Sing conveyed the decision to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon, noting the aircraft will bolster maritime awareness and counter undersea threats around vital chokepoints linking the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea, among the world’s busiest shipping corridors.
Combined with Singapore’s ongoing F-35 program—whose first deliveries are expected by the end of 2026—the P-8A will form a highly integrated air-maritime strike capability, while a 2023 memorandum between Boeing and ST Engineering could see Singapore emerge as a regional sustainment hub for P-8 operators.
