rior to 2007, the Republic of Singapore
Air Force’s (RSAF’s) fighter and
transport squadrons came under the
command of their respective bases: Changi,
Paya Lebar and Tengah. Two years earlier,
however, the RSAF had begun studying a
reorganisation under its ‘third-generation air
force’ concept. The programme was known
as Project Phoenix and the changes took place
between January 2007 and March 2010.
At the time, the then Chief of Air Force,
Major General Lim Kim Choon, said: “Holding
to our existing structure would constrain
our improvements to doing the same
thing better, but without a quantum leap in
overall capabilities. We should transform
our structures to reap the full synergistic
potential of technology and concepts.”
The RSAF was restructured into five mission-
oriented operational commands, which aim to
develop their respective tasks in an integrated
manner. The five commands comprise Air
Defence and Operation Command (ADOC),
Air Combat Command (ACC), Air Power
Generation Command
(APGC), Participation
Command
(PC) and UAV
Command (UC).P
Above right: Singapore’s Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen learns about the F-35’s helmet-mounted
display system during a visit to the 61st Fighter Squadron at Luke AFB, Arizona in December 2015.
USAF/Staff Sgt Staci Miller Below: A Strike Eagle peels away from a KC-135R tanker, followed by a pair of
F-16C Block 52s: serial 645 from 143 Squadron and 620 from 140 Squadron. Both the Fighting Falcons
have since transferred to the Black Knights display team. All photos Chen Chuanren unless statedRetirement of the
F-5S/T Tiger II has left
the Fighter Group with
two frontline fi ghter types,
the F-15SG and the F-16C/D/
D+. The Fighting Falcons were
delivered between 1998 and 2004
and the fl eet is now undergoing
an extensive upgrade.44 // APRIL 2018 #361 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com
RSAF air power