Yes, the F-15K won the Korean competition, but Dassault did make
some noise for a while about under-handedness by the Americans.
There were some 'experts' who agreed that South Korea's heavy
reliance on the US for defense played a big role in the
decision.
I do not think the American card would be that vital in the case
for Singapore as we do not face as immediate a threat as that
facing Korea (and Japan). It is perhaps partly for this reason that
the aviation industry is paying close attention to the Singapore
competition, seeing it as more objective.
In any case, my take on the matter is that both the F-15 and the
Rafale are capable aircraft. We can speculate all we want, but it's
anybody's guess which aircraft will be chosen until the
announcement is made.
