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28 // APRIL 2018 #361

Asia Pacifi c

F-15SGs in RSAF50 scheme

TWO OF the Republic

of Singapore Air Force’s

(RSAF’s) Paya Lebar-

based F-15SGs have

been painted in a special

RSAF50 scheme to

commemorate the air

arm’s golden jubilee this

year. The F-15SGs sport a

striking blue derived from

the RSAF state colour. The

upper surfaces and outer

tails feature the RSAF50

logo — the numeral ‘50’

in the shape of the infinity

symbol over the Singapore

skyline. Detailed on the

inner tails are the three

different roundels that

have represented the

RSAF at various times

over the 50 years.

President Halimah

Yacob unveiled the paint

scheme on F-15SG 8338

on February 7, while the

jet was on static display

at the Singapore Airshow

(see also Intel Report, p34-

38). The other F-15SG –

serial 8335 – participated

in an integrated aerial

display with two F-16Cs

for much of the airshow.

Fifteen manoeuvres

were flown in each

display routine over the

six-day event, which

ran from February 6

to 11. Roy Choo

F-15SG 8335 is one of two aircraft painted in the RSAF50 scheme. Roy Choo

Philippines Bell

412EPI order

under threat

A DAY after signing a

$233m deal to provide 16

Bell 412EPI helicopters

to the Philippine

Air Force (PAF), the

Canadian government

ordered a review of the

deal amid concerns

the aircraft could be

used to fight rebels.

Bell Helicopter

announced the

government-to-

government contract with

the Philippine Department

of National Defense (DND)

on February 6. The 16

helicopters would be “fully

configured and equipped

with advanced features,

as part of the Armed

Forces of the Philippines

(AFP) modernisation

plans”, according to

a press release.

Bell said the helicopters

would be used for

missions including

disaster relief, search

and rescue, passenger

transport and utility

transport. However,

Canada announced it

would review the deal

after Philippine military

chief of plans Maj Gen

Restituto Padilla told

reporters the helicopters

would be used for internal

security operations.

The Bell 412EPIs

were due be delivered

early next year. Bell

also delivered eight

412EP aircraft to the

Philippines in 2015.

KONGTHAP RUEA Thai

(Royal Thai Navy, RTN)

helicopters participated

in the annual Cobra Gold

exercise, held in Thailand

from February 13 to 23. In

addition to Thailand and

the US, Indonesia, Japan,

Malaysia, Republic of Korea

and Singapore participated

in Cobra Gold 2018.

The exercise gave the

militaries the opportunity

to advance interoperability

and increase partner

capacity in planning

and executing complex

task force operations.

During the exercise

on February 17, the US,

Republic of Korea and

Royal Thai armed forces

launched an amphibious

assault on Hat Yao Beach

in Rayong province. This

included participation

from RTN Super Lynx

and Sikorsky S-76

helicopters. Dave Allport

Thai Navy Lynx

and S-76 in

Cobra Gold

Above: RTN Super Lynx Mk110 and S-76B-7 helicopters, both from 203 Squadron at U-Tapao, participate in the amphibious
assault on Hat Yao Beach. US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sarah Villegas

THE SUKHOI Su-35S
multi-role fighter is now
fully operational with the
People’s Liberation Army Air
Force (PLAAF). Photos of
the aircraft were published
showing it participating in
a joint combat exercise
in the South China Sea.
China ordered 24 Su-35S
fighters in November 2015
at a cost of around $2bn.
Deliveries to the PLAAF
began on December
25, 2016. The first four
examples in the initial batch
flew from their factory

airfield at Komsomolsk-on-

Amur to a PLAAF training

base at Cangzhou, 112

miles (180km) south of

Beijing. They continued

on to Suixi air base, home

of the 6th Brigade (61x7x

serials), which is assigned

to the strategically

important Southern

Theatre Command.

Five more Su-35s were

delivered in March last

year and another five

followed in December.

via Chinese internet

China’s Su-35S fully operational