Singapore cleared to buy four P-8A Poseidons for $2.3 billion

MELBOURNE — The US government has approved a potential Foreign Military Sales (FMS) case for Singapore to buy the Boeing P-8A Poseidon multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft in a deal worth potentially over $2.3 billion, according to a notice published by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

The approval also includes right MK 54 lightweight torpedoes and other associated equipment including the AN/AAQ-24(V)N Directional Infra-Red Counter Measures (DIRCM) and AN/AQQ-2(V) acoustic systems.

Singapore had said in September 2025 that it would acquire the P-8As as the first phase of the city state’s recapitalization of its airborne maritime security capabilities, which seeks to strengthen its maritime situation awareness and ability to counter sub-surface threats.

RELATED: South Korea announces completion of KF-21 flight test program

Should the deal go through, the P-8As will replace five Fokker 50 maritime patrol aircraft currently operated by the Republic of Singapore Air Force.

Singapore’s economy is heavily dependent on its port, which is one of the busiest in the world. The island nation is located at the narrow choke point where the Straits of Malacca meets the South China Sea, which are heavily trafficked by commercial shipping plying the shipping lanes between Asia and the Middle East as well as Europe.

The country is also a security partner of the US, and hosts a rotational deployment of US Navy Littoral Combat Ships and US military logistics units that support regular visits of US warships and military aircraft.

The notice from DSCA is a congressional notification and is not final, as quantities and dollar totals often shift during negotiations. There’s also the remote possibility US lawmakers could step in to halt the sale.