September 3, 2007: Nearly two years ago, Singapore ordered twelve F-15E
aircraft (called F-15SG because of mods made especially for Singapore), with an
option to get eight more later. Singapore has been ordeing
weapons for their new fighter-bombers. The latest order includes 84 laser guided bombs
(two-thirds of them 500 pounders, the rest one ton bombs), and 17,000 practice
bombs. That's for practicing dropping dumb bombs. That's an awful lot of
practice bombs, as in dumb bombs, for an aircraft that works best when only
dropping smart bombs. That said, the F-15E has a powerful fire control system,
that makes dumb bombs a lot more effective. The F-15SG uses the Sniper
targeting pod, all weather navigation systems and an infrared search and track
system.