Strana 23
REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE AIR FORCE
Boeing CH-47 D/F (twenty-five in service)
and thirteen Airbus H225s. Sikorski S-70B
Seahawks are intended for maritime patrol
and anti-submarine defense and Singapore
operates eight of these.. Helicopter pilots are
trained on EC120 aircraft.
The transport arm operates the proven
Lockheed C-130 H to the tune of ten aircraft
(some of them also used for in air refueling)
and also the lesser-known Fokker 50, of which
there are also ten. Long-range maritime
patrolling is provided by the Fokker 50ME2,
which is based on the transport version.
The Air Force has six Airbus A330 MRTT
tanker aircraft for support missions. Aerial
reconnaissance and operations control are the
responsibility of the crews of Gulfstream G550
aircraft, of which the Air Force has a total of
four.
Unmanned aerial vehicles are a separate
entity of the Air Force with its own command.
They are used mainly for reconnaissance
and include the IAI Hermes, IAI Orbiter and
IAI Heron types.
The Air Force also includes air defense. Its
armament consists of SAMP/T, Spyder, Igla IFU,
Mistral, and RBS-70 air defense systems.
An interesting feature of the Singapore Air
Force are the foreign training detachments,
operating in several countries. Basic pilot
training takes place in Australia at Pearce
Base, where they fly Pilatus PC-21 aircraft.
CH-47 heavy helicopter pilots undergo training
in the same country, but specifically at Oakey
Base. France participates in the training
of supersonic combat pilots, using Alenia
M-346 aircraft, which are stationed in Cazaux.
A large part of the training is also provided
by the USA. It takes place at Mountain Home
(F-15 pilots) and Luke, which is set aside for F-16
pilots. Apache helicopter pilots then undergo
training at the US Army Silverbell facility. The
capabilities of Singaporean F-16 pilots are also
enhanced by cooperation with neighboring
Thailand, where they undergo training at Udorn.
Such massive foreign cooperation in training is
related not only to domestic training capability,
but mainly to Singapore‘s cramped airspace.
A significant part of Singapore‘s military
doctrine is built around broad regional and
international cooperation. Training in various
countries has already been mentioned, but
of course this is a much broader topic. For
example, it cooperates with Indonesia on
officer training, and they also carry out joint
air force exercises. Similar cooperation is also
underway with Malaysian partners.
A little known fact concerns the involvement
of the Singapore Air Force in air operations
during the Iraq War from 2004 to 2008, where
it participated in logistics, air transport and
aerial refueling of coalition aircraft. The
Singapore Air Force also supported operations
in Afghanistan and Syria in suppressing the
activities of terrorist groups. Singapore‘s
humanitarian assistance after the massive
Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004
was also significant. Other branches of the
Singapore Armed Forces also participated, led
by three naval vessels that were active in the
affected regions. Less than a year later, the
Singapore Air Force sent CH-47 helicopters to
the southern United States to help victims of
Hurricane Katrina.
Joint exercises with other partners are
also very prevalent. Australia, annually
organizes the Wallaby exercise, which focuses
on cooperation between various air force
components in the region.
Cooperation with the US Air Force is also
strong, as evidenced by repeated participation
in Red Flag exercises in Alaska. Furthermore,
in March 2026, the Cope Tiger 2026 exercise
took place with the participation of soldiers
from Thailand and the US, and these exercises
are also prepared regularly. Similarly,
Singaporean units participate in international
training in India. Air defense elements
regularly participate in the South Africa’s
Brightfire exercise.
A Republic of Singapore Air Force F-16 prepares for ight operations during Exercise Cope Tiger
13 at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, in March 2013. The exercise involved military units
from Singapore, Thailand, and the United States.
Photo: U.S. Air Force photo by 2nd Lt. Jake Bailey
Ten Republic of Singapore Air Force F-16s parked on the tactical ramp
outside the Air Force Tactical Training Centre at 4 Wing Cold Lake, Alberta,
Canada. The photograph was taken in May 2008 during Exercise Maple
Flag, an international air-combat training exercise hosted at the base.
Photo: RAF-YYC
INFO Eduard
23
September 2026