Singapore and US scrap plans for permanent RSAF F-15 detachment in Guam

Singapore and the United States have mutually agreed to cancel plans to permanently station 12 Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) F-15 fighter jets in Guam from 2029. 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.