Singapore to buy F-35s

Singapore is expected to announce sometime in the next 10 days that it plans to buy its first squadron -- 12 planes -- of Lockheed Martin's F-35Bs. It will ultimately buy 75. The decision will eventually leave China facing 50 to 100 Australian F-35As, 42 F-35As in Japan, 75Bs in Singapore and however many of the three versions built and fielded by the United States are regularly in the Pacific. Singapore and the other Pacific countries have concluded that the F-35 is effective. One senior official from the region told Colin Clark of AOL Defense that the F-35 is "simply undefeatable." The official said the aircraft is expected to maintain its dominance for at least a quarter of a century. (Source: AOL Defense, 03/25/13)