Singapore to acquire 3 Gulfstream G550 maritime surveillance aircraft

Each aircraft is 29.8m long with a wingspan of 28.5m, and can accommodate two pilots and up to six crew members.

The new Gulfstream 550s will complement the four Boeing P-8A maritime patrol aircraft announced in September last year.

Mr Chan said the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will also continue to use unmanned platforms for new concepts of operations and pair them with manned platforms.

He highlighted the Republic of Singapore Navy’s multi-role combat vessel (MRCV) that is designed to function as a “mothership” for unmanned systems.

The first of six MRCVs was launched in October 2025 and christened Victory. 

The minister said that the second MRCV is on track to be launched in the third quarter of this year.

Mr Chan told parliament that MINDEF’s first commitment was a “steady, consistent and disciplined way” of approaching defence expenditure. 

He added: “Going forward, I expect the growth in defence spending to keep pace with our GDP growth, barring major shocks. However, if the need arises, we will be prepared to do more.”

In his Budget statement on Feb 12, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said the defence budget would remain at 3 per cent of the gross domestic product, although this could change if circumstances called for it.