LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. — Out here in the scorching heat of the Arizona desert, Singaporean F-16 aviators and maintenance technicians are training under the watchful eye of U.S. Air Force officers in a regime that is as much a cross-cultural exchange as school for aerial combat.

The Singaporeans train here because Luke's air space is twice as large as Singapore's air space and has bombing and gunnery ranges that would be impossible to set up in the Southeast Asian city-state. Moreover, the Singaporeans fly in exercises such as Red Flag at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, Red Flag Alaska, and Maple Flag in Canada in which they simulate combat against trained "aggressor" fliers from the United States.

The aviators, here for two years, come for what Lt. Col. Stephen Granger of the U.S. Air Force called "high-end training" in the interception of enemy attackers, firing missiles beyond visual range, low-level navigation, infrared targeting, laser-guided bombing and night operations using powerful night-vision goggles.

Granger commands the 425th Fighter Squadron, to which the Singaporean aviators and maintenance technicians are assigned.

The threats confronting Singapore today are piracy and terror in the Straits of Malacca and South China Sea through which pass more cargo ships and tankers annually than through the Suez and Panama canals combined. Parts of that trade are crucial to Singapore's vibrant economy.

This passage is also critical to U.S. Navy warships sailing between the Pacific and Indian oceans. Any blockage would cause economic and strategic havoc.

Less evident and longer range, say Asian strategists, Singapore's air force is part of a deterrent aimed at Malaysia, just across the Strait of Johore to the north, with which the island nation has tenuous relations, and China, which claims large parts of the South China Sea. The 425th Fighter Squadron's nickname is the Black Widows.

Granger, who has four other U.S. Air Force pilots and 26 civilians on his staff, has operational control over the Singaporeans and is responsible for their training. A Singaporean, Lt. Col. Vincent Leong, is responsible for discipline and administration. Singapore's Ministry of Defense, without explanation, would not allow Leong or other Singaporean pilots to be interviewed.

For the Singaporeans, training in the desert is an anomaly since most of their flights at home are over water. Granger said that makes little difference at middle and high altitudes but acknowledged that flying low over water with no terrain features is more difficult than flying low over land where terrain features are discernible.

Singapore has 12 F-16s here, half of them two-seater D models with room for a weapons officer to operate targeting and defensive sensors and to drop bombs. Those planes appear to be especially useful for operations over water.

Among the differences in culture, Granger said, was that "the Singaporeans are very rank conscious." A captain is not likely to criticize a major in a meeting in which a training flight is being scrubbed for lessons learned. In contrast, U.S. Air Force junior officers are expected to speak up when they see a senior officer make a mistake.

The size of the U.S. sometimes overwhelms the Singaporeans, most of whom have never been out of their city-state. Flying north to Canada to take part in Maple Flag drills, Granger said, the Singaporeans were often eager to take pictures.

On average, Singapore has about 150 people here at any one time, 15 being aviators and the rest maintenance technicians. In addition, most bring their families with them and live in quarters on the base. That keeps Granger and his staff busy easing the culture shock of the Singaporeans.

Granger, who became squadron commander only a few months ago, has never been to Singapore but seemed to relish the challenge of learning to work with the Singaporeans. He plans to visit Singapore in August in an American delegation to mark Singapore's national day.

The lieutenant colonel said Singapore pays for the entire operation of the 425th Fighter Squadron, including the F-16s, their fuel, spare parts, and munitions. Singapore even covers his pay and that of the 30 other Americans assigned to the squadron.

The F-16s cost $23 million each, according to an F-16 Web site, but neither the U.S. Air Force nor Singapore's Ministry of Defense would disclose the annual cost of the 425th Fighter Squadron's operations.

The squadron has a long history in the U.S. Air Force, fighting in Europe in World War II. In its present incarnation, it was assigned to train Singaporeans in 1992.

The current agreement with the U.S. Air Force continues to 2018.

Richard Halloran is a Honolulu-based journalist and former New York Times correspondent in Asia. His column appears weekly in Sunday's Focus section.