Singapore and US scrap plans for permanent RSAF F-15 detachment in Guam
The decision also means around 200 personnel and their dependants, who were expected to move from Singapore to support the mission, will no longer be deployed.
According to The Guam Daily Post, the cancellation was revealed in the US Department of the Air Force's (DAF) Record of Decision (ROD) and final environmental impact statement.
The ROD cited operational analysis, site surveys, environmental and economic assessments, public and agency feedback, and military judgement as contributing factors.
Review of training needs
Singapore's Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) confirmed the decision on 12 August 2025, stating that it and the US Department of Defence (DOD) had 'mutually agreed to discontinue discussions' on the Guam detachment.
The move followed a review of the RSAF's training needs, as per reported by Singapore's state media The Straits Times.
Despite the cancellation of a permanent base, MINDEF said periodic short-term training and exercises in Guam would proceed. This includes an upcoming fighter training detachment from October to November 2025.
New plans in Arkansas for F-35 training
Singapore and the US are now working on establishing a new RSAF fighter training detachment at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Arkansas. This facility will host future F-35 fighter training.
MINDEF reiterated the strong bilateral defence cooperation between the two countries and expressed appreciation for the US DOD's continued support of Singapore's training detachments in America.
The US Air Force had earlier announced that it 'will not implement or carry forward the bed down' of RSAF F-15s at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.
This was detailed in a formal ROD signed by Acting Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Michael Saunders on 16 July 2025.
The document outlined environmental assessments of hosting Singapore's aircraft and personnel, and the associated construction plans.
While certain infrastructure projects such as airfield pavements, fuel lines, and stormwater facilities will still proceed, others — including a planned munitions storage area — will not be built.
The ROD also confirmed that no RSAF personnel, families, or temporary support staff will be stationed in Guam under the cancelled arrangement.
Agreement first signed in 2019
The memorandum of understanding for the Guam detachment was reached in 2019 after joint studies into training area suitability, infrastructure, and support facilities.
MINDEF said at the time that Guam's vast airspace would allow realistic training to enhance operational readiness.
The agreement was formally signed in December 2019.
In December 2023, the US Air Force began studying the potential environmental impact of upgrades to support a long-term RSAF presence in Guam.
The island, covering 550 square kilometres in the western Pacific Ocean, is located about 9,300km from San Francisco and 4,700km from Singapore.
Past RSAF training in Guam
The RSAF has previously deployed F-15s and other jets to Guam for short training periods in 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023.
Separately, the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) conducted a major exercise in Guam and surrounding waters in June 2025.
The 12-day bilateral Exercise Pacific Griffin was the fifth in its series. It involved RSN vessels, two RSAF Fokker-50 Maritime Patrol Aircraft, and six F-16 fighter jets.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Aug 16, 2025
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Putin, Trump discuss Ukraine's fate in Alaska US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met face-to-face in Alaska on Aug 15 in a high-stakes summit that could determine whether a ceasefire can be reached in the deadliest war in Europe since World War II. Ahead of the talks, Mr Trump greeted the Russian leader on a red carpet on the tarmac at a US Air Force base. The two shook hands warmly and touched each other on the arm before riding in Mr Trump's limousine to the summit site nearby. There, the two presidents sat with their respective delegations in their first meeting since 2019. READ MORE HERE Zelensky says Russia continues attacking Ukraine SCREENSHOT, PHOTO: X President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug 15 Russia was continuing to attack Ukraine ahead of a summit in Alaska between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, but its attempt to 'show strength' with a new assault in the east had failed. 'On the day of the negotiations, they also kill people. And that says a lot,' Mr Zelensky said on the Telegram messaging app. 'The war continues. It continues precisely because there is no order, nor any indication that Moscow is preparing to end this war,' he added. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World Putin, Trump discuss fate of Ukraine as summit gets under way in Alaska Singapore Nowhere to run: Why Singapore needs to start protecting its coasts now Singapore Using nature, multi-use structures among solutions being studied to protect Singapore coastlines Singapore ICA to review Ong Beng Seng's PR status after he is fined for abetting obstruction of justice Singapore HSA evaluating rapid urine test kits to enable faster detection of etomidate, found in Kpods Singapore Drug trafficker gets death sentence commuted after President Tharman grants clemency Opinion Revitalise nightlife? Let's get the crowds out first Earlier, Ukrainian regional officials said Russia had launched a ballistic missile into Dnipropetrovsk region in eastern Ukraine, killing one person and wounding at least one other, while a drone damaged civilian infrastructure and caused a fire in Sumy region in the north-east. READ MORE HERE One killed, several injured after train derails in Denmark AFP One person was killed and several people were injured when a train hit a vehicle and derailed in southern Denmark on Aug 15, Danish police said. Pictures from the scene showed that a carriage had been torn from the train and was lying on the side, Danish TV2 reported. Police said that of the 95 people on board the train, one was killed, and several were injured, of whom two were carried away by helicopter, the police of Southern Jutland region of Denmark said in a press release. READ MORE HERE Minister pays visit to jailed Palestinian leader Israel's far-right national security minister visited prominent Palestinian Marwan Barghouti in jail and told him 'you will not win', a video showed on Aug 15, a day after another hardline Cabinet member vowed to 'bury' the idea of a Palestinian state. Security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir shared the video on his X account, also telling Barghouti - a potential unifying figure among Palestinians who has been jailed for more than two decades - that anyone who threatens Israel would be eliminated. The prison visit took place earlier this week but became public after ultra-nationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Aug 14 that work would start on a settlement that would bisect the West Bank and further cut it off from East Jerusalem, which Palestinians want as a capital for a future state. READ MORE HERE Liverpool win 4-2 in thrilling season opener PHOTO: AFP Liverpool talisman Mo Salah and fellow forward Federico Chiesa struck late goals as the Premier League champions began the defence of their title by beating Bournemouth 4-2 in a thriller on the opening night of the season at Anfield on Aug 15. On a bittersweet evening charged with emotion after the July death of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota, newcomer Hugo Ekitike bagged a goal on his league debut to put the hosts ahead after 37 minutes and Cody Gakpo doubled the lead in the 49th. But Antoine Semenyo, who was the target of racist abuse in the first half that led to a pause in the game, pulled one back for the visitors in the 64th minute and completed a double 12 minutes later to rock Liverpool and shock the home fans.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
Putin, Trump share greeting as critical summit on war in Ukraine war starts
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox US President Donald Trump (right) welcoming Russian President Vladimir Putin to Anchorage, Alaska, on Aug 15, ahead of their summit. ANCHORAGE, Alaska - US President Donald Trump greeted Russian President Vladimir Putin with a handshake ahead of a high-stakes summit in Alaska on Aug 15 that could determine whether a ceasefire can be reached in the deadliest war in Europe since World War II. Mr Trump disembarked his plane, Air Force One, and awaited Mr Putin on the tarmac. The two exchanged greetings while smiling. US F-22 aircraft were placed on either side of the red carpet. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not invited to the talks, and his European allies fear Mr Trump might sell out Ukraine by essentially freezing the conflict with Russia and recognising - if only informally - Russian control over one-fifth of Ukraine. Mr Trump sought to assuage such concerns as he boarded Air Force One, saying he would let Ukraine decide on any possible territorial swops. 'I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine, I'm here to get them at a table,' he said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Ong Beng Seng fined $30k in case linked to ex-minister Iswaran after judge cites judicial mercy Singapore Why was Ong Beng Seng fined instead of jailed? Key points from the case Singapore ICA to review Ong Beng Seng's PR status after he is fined for abetting obstruction of justice Singapore Drug trafficker gets death sentence commuted after President Tharman grants clemency Asia Former China envoy to Singapore Sun Haiyan reappears after reported questioning Life Founder of Singapore Symphony Orchestra Choo Hoey dies at 90 Singapore Hawkers at Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre will not need to provide free meals under new contracts Asked what would make the meeting a success, he told reporters: 'I want to see a ceasefire rapidly... I'm not going to be happy if it's not today... I want the killing to stop.' Mr Trump will be joined in his meeting with Mr Putin by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Mr Trump's special envoy to Russia, Mr Steve Witkoff, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said. At the subsequent larger, bilateral meeting, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and chief of staff Susie Wiles will also join Trump, Ms Leavitt said. The Russian officials accompanying Mr Putin in the talks with the US delegation will be foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told CNN. Mr Trump hopes a truce in the three-and-a-half-year-old war will bring peace to the region as well as bolster his credentials as a global peacemaker worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. For Mr Putin, the summit is already a big win that he can portray as evidence that years of Western attempts to isolate Russia have unravelled and that Moscow is retaking its rightful place at the top table of international diplomacy. Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev described the pre-summit mood as 'combative' and said the two leaders would discuss not only Ukraine but the full spectrum of bilateral relations, Russia's RIA news agency reported. Mr Trump, who once said he would end Russia's war in Ukraine within 24 hours, conceded on Aug 14 it had proven a tougher task than he had expected. He said if Aug 15 talks went well, quickly arranging a second, three-way summit with Mr Zelensky would be even more important than his encounter with Mr Putin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a three-way summit would be possible if the Alaska talks bore fruit, Interfax news agency reported. Mr Peskov also said the Aug 15 talks could last six to seven hours. Mr Zelensky said the summit should open the way for a 'just peace' and three-way talks that included him, but added that Russia was continuing to wage war. A Russian ballistic missile earlier struck Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, killing one person and wounding another. 'It's time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America,' Mr Zelensky wrote on the Telegram messaging app. 'Smart guy' Mr Trump said there is mutual respect between him and Mr Putin. 'He is a smart guy, been doing it for a long time, but so have I... We get along, there's a good respect level on both sides,' Mr Trump said of Mr Putin. He also welcomed Mr Putin's decision to bring businesspeople to Alaska. 'But they're not doing business until we get the war settled,' he said, repeating a threat of 'economically severe' consequences for Russia if the summit goes badly. The United States has had internal discussions on using Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker vessels to support the development of gas and LNG projects in Alaska as one of the possible deals to aim for, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. One source acquainted with Kremlin thinking said there were signs Moscow could be ready to strike a compromise on Ukraine, given that Mr Putin understood Russia's economic vulnerability and costs of continuing the war. Reuters has previously reported that Mr Putin might be willing to freeze the conflict along the front lines, provided there was a legally binding pledge not to enlarge Nato eastwards and to lift some Western sanctions. Nato has said Ukraine's future is in the alliance. Russia, whose war economy is showing strain, is vulnerable to further US sanctions - and Mr Trump has threatened tariffs on buyers of Russian crude, primarily China and India. 'For Putin, economic problems are secondary to goals, but he understands our vulnerability and costs,' the Russian source said. Mr Putin this week held out the prospect of something else he knows Mr Trump wants - a new nuclear arms control accord to replace the last surviving one, which is due to expire in February. Common ground? The source familiar with Kremlin thinking said it looked as if the two sides had been able to find some common ground. 'Apparently, some terms will be agreed upon... because Trump cannot be refused, and we are not in a position to refuse (due to sanctions pressure),' said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the matter's sensitivity. Mr Putin has said he is open to a full ceasefire but that issues of verification must first be sorted out. One compromise could be a truce in the air war. Mr Zelensky has ruled out formally handing Moscow any territory and is also seeking a security guarantee backed by the United States. Ukrainians who spoke to Reuters in central Kyiv on Aug 15 were not optimistic about the summit. 'Nothing good will happen there, because war is war, it will not end. The territories - we're not going to give anything to anyone,' said Ms Tetiana Harkavenko, a 65-year-old cleaner. REUTERS
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Straits Times
‘Nothing will be left': Israel prepares for Gaza City battle
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Israeli armoured vehicles are seen near the Gaza border in southern Israel on Aug 12, 2025. JERUSALEM – In a dense urban landscape, with likely thousands of Hamas fighters lying in wait, taking Gaza City will be a difficult and costly slog for the Israeli army, security experts say. On Aug 10, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu laid out his vision of victory in Gaza following 22 months of war, with the military ordered to attack the last remaining Hamas strongholds in Gaza City and the central camps further south. With a pre-war population of some 760,000, according to official figures, Gaza City was the biggest of any municipal area in the Palestinian territories. But following the unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel in 2023 that sparked the war, its population has only swelled, with thousands of displaced people fleeing intensive military operations to the north. Gaza City itself has come under intense aerial bombardment, and its remaining apartment buildings now rub shoulders with tents and other makeshift shelters. Mr Amir Avivi, a former Israeli general and head of the Israeli Defence and Security Forum think tank, described the city as the 'heart of Hamas' rule in Gaza'. 'Gaza City has always been the centre of government and also has the strongest brigade of Hamas,' he said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Luxury items seized in $3b money laundering case handed over to Deloitte for liquidation Singapore NEL resumes service after hours-long power fault; single-track service on Sengkang-Punggol LRT Singapore Plan to base Singapore's F-15 fighter jets in Guam cancelled Singapore Hyflux investigator 'took advantage' of Olivia Lum's inability to recall events: Davinder Singh Singapore Man who stabbed son-in-law to death in Boon Tat Street in 2017 dies, aged 80 Singapore Scoot to launch flights to Chiang Rai, Okinawa, Tokyo-Haneda, boost frequency to other places Singapore Man on trial for stalking woman blasted by judge for asking scandalous questions in court Singapore Off-duty SCDF officer dies after accident in Punggol; 15-year-old pillion rider taken to hospital The first challenge for Israeli troops relates to Mr Netanyahu's call for the evacuation of civilians. How such a feat will be carried out remains unclear. Unlike the rest of the Gaza Strip, where most of the population has been displaced at least once, around 300,000 residents of Gaza City have not moved since the outbreak of the conflict, according to Mr Avivi. Israel has already tried to push civilians further south to so-called humanitarian zones established by the military, but there is likely little space to accommodate more arrivals. 'You cannot put another one million people over there. It will be a horrible humanitarian crisis,' said Mr Michael Milshtein, an Israeli former military intelligence officer. According to Mr Avivi, humanitarian aid would be mainly distributed south of Gaza City in order to encourage residents to move toward future distribution sites managed by the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Up from just four currently, the GHF plans to operate 16 sites. However, Gaza's civil defence agency says Israeli troops are firing at and killing civilians daily around the sites. Human Rights Watch has called them a 'death trap', while the UN and other groups have lashed out at what they call a militarisation of aid. 'Stalingrad' According to Mr Michael Milshtein, who heads the Palestinian Studies Programme at Tel Aviv University, Hamas' military wing could have as many as 10,000 to 15,000 fighters in Gaza City, many of them freshly recruited. 'It's very easy to convince a 17-, 18-, 19-year-old Palestinian to be a part of Al-Qassam Brigades,' Mr Milshtein said, referring to Hamas' armed wing, as he cited a lack of opportunities for much of Gaza's population. 'While (Israel's army) prepares itself, Hamas also prepares itself for the coming warfare, if it takes place,' he added, predicting that the battle could end up being 'very similar to Stalingrad'. He was referring to the battle for the city now known as Volgograd, one of the longest and bloodiest in World War II. The Israeli army will encounter obstacles, including a vast network of tunnels where Israeli hostages are likely being held, along with weapons depots, hiding places and combat posts. Other obstacles could include improvised explosive devices and the use of civilians as human shields in a dense urban maze of narrow alleys and tall buildings, according to press reports. 'It's almost impossible to go in there without creating both hostage casualties and a large humanitarian disaster,' said Ms Mairav Zonszein, of the International Crisis Group. The material destruction, she added, will be enormous. 'They will simply destroy everything, and then nothing will be left,' she said. Despite rumoured disagreements over the plan, the chief of the army, Lieutenant-General Eyal Zamir , said his forces 'will be able to conquer Gaza City, just as it did in Khan Younis and Rafah in the south'. 'Our forces have operated there in the past, and we will know how to do it again,' he said. AFP
