The
United States has approved the sale of up to 12 F-35 fighter jets -- one of the most advanced warplanes ever built -- to
Singapore for around $2.75 billion, officials said Friday.
The city-state last year said it planned to buy four of the jets, with an option to purchase eight more, picking the Lockheed Martin model over rivals from Europe and China.
Despite its small size, Singapore has one of the region's best equipped armed forces and spends a large chunk of its national budget on defence.