tirsdag 2. september 2014

Singapore - Bløffer de om antallet F-15 de har?

Singapore probably has up to 40 F-15SGs

SINGAPORE
Source: Flightglobal.com
04:40 25 Aug 2014
Evidence that Singapore has far more than the officially claimed 24 
Boeing F-15SG fighter aircraft has emerged, although the precise 
number of airframes has yet to be ascertained.
The FAA registry shows that eight Boeing F-15SG aircraft were
registered to Boeing on 6 August 2014. The aircraft bear
registrations N361SG, N363SG, N366SG, N368SG,N373SG,
N376SG, N378SG, and N837SG.
Over the years industry observers have come to share the belief
that the true number of aircraft is probably 32 - not 24 - mainly
owing to the range of registration numbers on Singapore air force
registered F-15SGs.
Moreover, on a tour of Korea Aerospace Industries’ (KAI)
Sachon factory in 2011, Flightglobal observed the forward
fuselage assembly of an F-15 labelled “SG28.” KAI is a key
contractor in the F-15 programme.
Combined with aircraft sightings in recent years, it is feasible that
the eight F-15SGs registered on 6 August push the size of
Singapore’s fleet of the type to 40 aircraft.
Singapore and Boeing, for their part, have adamantly
maintained that the official strength of Singapore’s F-15SG fleet
is 24 aircraft.
Nonetheless, it is impossible to escape the view that the true size
of the fleet is greater. At the recent Pitch Black exercises in
Australia, defence observers noted that some F-15SGs showed
signs that registration numbers had been painted or taped over,
possibly a tactic to obfuscate the true size of the fleet.
Another element of evidence about additional F-15SGs is buried
in the Federal Register from 17 April 2013, which indicates
that Singapore may obtain additional examples through the direct
commercial sale route.

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