Singapore buys 12 choppers from U.S.

Singapore buys 12 choppers from U.S.

SINGAPORE (AP): Singapore has signed an agreement to buy 12
Apache attack helicopters from the United States, officials in
the wealthy Southeast Asian city-state said on Friday.

Pilots and crew from the Singapore Armed Forces will use the
helicopters for training in the United States, the Defense
Ministry said in a statement.

Singapore and the United States signed an agreement for the
deal on Monday, the statement said.

Singapore's initial request for the helicopters and
accompanying missiles, spare engines and other accessories was
worth about US$617 million, according to an earlier news release
from the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency or DSCA.

Officials at the Singapore Defense Ministry and U.S. Embassy
in Singapore said they could not immediately confirm the final
value of the deal.

Singapore already has eight Apaches. The new order of 12 will
be delivered starting from 2005, the Defense Ministry said.
Apaches are designed for attacking tanks and other targets on the
ground.

The two-seater craft, used heavily by the U.S. Army, is a
veteran of the 1989 invasion of Panama, the 1991 Gulf War and
peacekeeping missions in Bosnia.

The apache can carry missiles, rockets and a rapid-fire
cannon.

The U.S. sale to Singapore "will contribute to the foreign
policy and national security of the United States by helping to
improve the security of a friendly country," the DSCA news
release said.

Singapore is "an important force for stability and economic
progress in Southeast Asia," the news release said.

In a report published earlier this year, London-based military
journal Jane's Defense Weekly said some observers believe
Singapore's military is "the best force in the (Asian) region."

Singapore, an island nation with 4 million people, has no
apparent enemies. But the government feels its strong military
helps ensure its position as an oasis of peace and prosperity in
an often turbulent region.