hile there’s little
doubt the Republic
of Singapore Air
Force (RSAF) is highly
proficient, it’s also very
secretive. Press releases
from aerospace companies
involved with the RSAF
generally give very little away.Announcements last year
from Boeing Helicopters and
Airbus Helicopters didn’t reveal
the number of CH-47Fs or
H225Ms the RSAF ordered.
‘Client confidentiality’ is the oft-
repeated mantra. But at least
there was a press release.
It wasn’t until an observant
spotter noticed that the tail
numbers of certain RSAF
F-15SGs on a 2014 Pitch Black
exercise in Australia didn’t tally
with the original 24-aircraft
order that it became clear
Singapore had ordered more.
This year’s Singapore Airshow,
held at the Changi Exhibition
Centre from February 6-11, offered
a chance to see how the RSAF is
preparing for the future as it marksits 50th anniversary. Its personnel
now increasingly engage with the
public and are more willing to talk
to journalists than in the past.US connections
The RSAF is one of many air
forces considering the F-35
Joint Strike Fighter as a future
requirement, but it’s reluctant to
commit to any deal right now. It
seems likely that senior personnel
will diligently study the fifth-
generation jet until convinced it
will fit into its standard operating
procedures (SOPs) – and the
Singaporean defence budget.
Given there are still issues
with the F-35, this approach
is probably wise. At a unit
cost exceeding $100m, anySingapore
shapes up for the future
Well trained, and
operating some of the
most sophisticated
systems available,
the Republic of
Singapore Air Force is
an extremely capable
air arm. Alan Warnes
visited the Singapore
Airshow to assess an
air force punching well
above its weight.W
34 // APRIL 2018 #361 http://www.airforcesmonthly.comIntel
Report