Republic of Singapore Air Force
The Republic of Singapore Air Force began on 1 September 1968, as the Singapore Air Defence Command, with two hired Cessnas and a British deadline to take over the island’s air defence; within two decades it had Hunters, re-engined Skyhawks, F-5s and F-16s, and today, with F-15SGs, F-16s and the first F-35s on order or in training, it describes itself as one of the most advanced and capable air forces in the region — one that, for lack of airspace at home, trains much of its aircrew in the United States, France and Australia.
The Republic of Singapore Air Force story: two hired Cessnas, rebuilt Skyhawks and an air force trained on other countries’ ranges
1968–1975: an air force from scratch
Singapore’s air force exists because Britain left. In 1968 London announced that it would pull its forces out of the region by March 1971 (later September 1971), and Singapore, independent only since 1965, had to raise an air force from nothing to take over air defence from the Royal Air Force. The Singapore Air Defence Command (SADC) was formed on 1 September 1968; the RSAF’s own history says it began with two Cessnas and a handful of pioneering staff, and Wikipedia adds that they were hired from the Singapore Flying Club. Alouette III helicopters formed 120 Squadron in November 1968; eight Cessna 172Ks, the first aircraft bought outright, arrived in May 1969 for 37 pioneer pilots chosen from over 500 applicants; and in October 1969 16 BAC Strikemasters reached Tengah to form 130 Squadron. By the time the British left, Tengah, Seletar, Sembawang and Changi had been handed over with a radar station and Bloodhound II missiles. On 1 April 1975 the SADC became the Republic of Singapore Air Force.
1970–1990: Hunters, Skyhawks and the Black Knights
The first fighters were second-hand. Singapore ordered Hawker Hunters in 1968 and received 46 refurbished aircraft between 1971 and 1973 — 12 FGA.74, 26 FR.74A/B and eight T.75 two-seaters — for two squadrons. From 1973 came Douglas A-4 Skyhawks, about 150 ex-US Navy A-4B and A-4C airframes in all, according to Wikipedia. What Singapore did with them was the interesting part: local industry rebuilt them, and from the mid-1980s re-engined them with the General Electric F404 as the A-4SU Super Skyhawk, which first flew on 19 September 1986. Northrop F-5Es followed from 1979. The service’s display team, formed in 1973 on Hunters and named the Black Knights in 1974, flew all three types before moving to the F-16; sources disagree on when the Hunters gave way (Wikipedia’s Black Knights article puts F-5Es in the team in the 1980s, its Hunter article says Hunters until 1989).
Training abroad: Arizona, Western Australia and Cazaux
Singapore is a small island, and the RSAF has never had the airspace at home to train all its crews. It solved the problem by going abroad and staying there. F-16 training began in the United States in January 1993, first with borrowed USAF aircraft; the F-16 unit is at Luke AFB in Arizona and the F-15SG unit, the joint 428th Fighter Squadron, at Mountain Home in Idaho. The Flying Training Institute has operated from RAAF Base Pearce in Western Australia since 1993, flying the S.211 and, from 2008, 19 PC-21s; a 2017 agreement extended its stay by 25 years. Since 1998 150 Squadron has been at Cazaux in France, first with A-4SUs and from 2012 with M-346s. Apache crews train in Arizona. It is an expensive way to run an air force, and it makes the RSAF dependent on its hosts, but it has given a city-state the training ranges of a continent.
1990–2015: F-16, F-15SG and the end of the Skyhawk
The F-16 arrived under the Peace Carvin programme: four F-16A and four F-16B Block 15s first, then Block 52 and Block 52+ aircraft, including 20 two-seat F-16D+ from 2003; seven of the early Block 15s were given to Thailand in 2004. On 6 September 2005 Singapore chose the Boeing F-15SG over the Dassault Rafale, ordering 12 that December and building up to 40 by 2018. Four E-2C Hawkeyes (1987) gave way to G550 airborne early warning aircraft on 13 April 2012. The A-4SU left frontline service on 31 March 2005 and its training role in France passed to the M-346, the Italian trainer’s first export order. The Hunter had gone in 1992 and the F-5S, the last of the F-5s, left with the disbanding of 144 Squadron in September 2015. The RSAF never flew in combat in this period; its operations were tanker, transport and drone deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan and against Islamic State, and disaster relief from Aceh to Texas.
2016–2026: new helicopters, tankers, drones and the F-35
Since 2016 almost every non-fighter fleet has been replaced. MINDEF signed for H225M and CH-47F helicopters on 7 November 2016 to replace Super Pumas flown since 1983 and Chinooks flown since 1994, and six Airbus A330 MRTTs replaced four KC-135s, reaching full operational capability on 20 April 2021. The F-35 decision took years: Singapore joined the programme as a security cooperation participant in 2003, chose the F-35 in 2019 and was cleared to buy four F-35Bs with an option on eight in January 2020; the option was taken up in February 2023, and on 28 February 2024 the government added eight F-35As, for 20 in all. MINDEF says the F-16 will be phased out from the mid-2030s, leaving a fighter force of F-35As, F-35Bs and F-15SGs. In September 2025 Singapore chose four Boeing P-8As to replace the Fokker 50 in the maritime patrol role, and from late 2025 Hermes 900 drones began replacing the Hermes 450.
What is still open: Paya Lebar, the F-16 exit and the numbers
Three things remain open. The first is basing: Paya Lebar, a civil airport until 1981 and now home to the F-15SGs and C-130s, is to be vacated around 2030 so that the land can become a new town, pushing its units to Changi and Tengah, which Wikipedia says will house the F-35s by the 2030s. The second is timing: MINDEF said the first four F-35Bs were expected by 2026, the F-35As by 2030; on 30 September 2026 the RSAF’s own aircraft page did not yet list the F-35, and an official arrival date in Singapore was not found. The third is transparency. MINDEF does not publish fleet numbers, so the counts on this page come from Wikipedia’s tables, which cite the IISS and FlightGlobal, and are given with that caveat. What is not in doubt is the pattern: a small country that has bought the best aircraft it can obtain, replaced them on schedule, and trained its crews on other people’s ranges.
The Republic of Singapore Air Force in numbers
خدمة
- الاسم الأصلي
- Tentera Udara Republik SingapuraMalay name as given by Wikipedia; the Chinese (新加坡空军) and Tamil forms are also Wikipedia’s. MINDEF’s own spelling in the three languages could not be confirmed on an official page
- تأسست
- 1 September 1968As the Singapore Air Defence Command (SADC); renamed Republic of Singapore Air Force on 1 April 1975
- جزء من
- Singapore Armed ForcesOne of three services under the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), with the Army and Navy
- Chief of Air Force
- MG Kelvin FanTook command on 22 March 2024 from MG Kelvin Khong; promoted major-general 1 July 2024
- وزير الدفاع
- Chan Chun SingSince 23 May 2025, succeeding Ng Eng Hen
- Commands
- ستةUAV Command, Air Combat Command, Participation Command, Air Force Training Command, Air Defence and Operations Command, Air Power Generation Command
قوة
- الأفراد
- About 6,000 activePlus about 7,500 reservists; Wikipedia’s 2023 figure, attributed to the IISS. MINDEF does not publish one
- طائرات حربية
-
- F-15SG — 40
- F-16C/D/D+ — about 60 (59 in Wikipedia’s table)
- F-35B — 4 listed by Wikipedia, 20 F-35A/B ordered
Counts from Wikipedia’s inventory table, not from MINDEF. The F-35 count reflects aircraft delivered for training in the United States, not aircraft in Singapore
- طائرات الدعم
-
- G550 airborne early warning — 4
- A330 MRTT — 6
- C-130H and KC-130B/H — about 10
- Fokker 50 — 5
G550 with 111 Squadron; A330 MRTT with 112 Squadron at Changi (East)
- طائرات الهليكوبتر
-
- AH-64D Apache — about 19 (20 bought)
- CH-47SD/F Chinook — number not confirmed
- H225M — 13, 3 more on order
- S-70B Seahawk — 8
The H225M and CH-47F replace the Super Puma and CH-47SD; replacement counts were not published by MINDEF. S-70B Seahawks are flown by the RSAF for naval anti-submarine and anti-surface work
- مدربين
-
- PC-21 — 19
- M-346 — 12
- EC120 — 5
Both are based abroad: the PC-21 at Pearce, Australia, and the M-346 at Cazaux, France
- الطائرات بدون طيار
-
- Hermes 900 (replacing the Hermes 450 from late 2025)
- Hermes 450
- Heron 1
- Orbiter 4
Numbers not published
بنية تحتية
- القواعد الجوية
-
- Tengah
- Paya Lebar (to close around 2030)
- Changi (East and West)
- Sembawang
Plus a training detachment at the civil airport of Seletar. Changi Air Base (East) opened on 29 November 2004
- Overseas training detachments
-
- Luke AFB, Arizona — F-16
- Mountain Home AFB, Idaho — F-15SG (428th Fighter Squadron)
- Ebbing ANGB, Arkansas — F-35 (planned from 2023)
- RAAF Base Pearce — PC-21 (130 Squadron)
- Cazaux, France — M-346 (150 Squadron)
The United States hosts the fighter, F-35 and Apache training; Australia the basic flying school; France the advanced jet trainer
- فريق العرض
- RSAF Black KnightsFormed 1973 at Tengah; flies F-16s drawn from front-line squadrons on an ad hoc basis
- Future basing
- Paya Lebar to be vacated around 2030Its units move to Changi and Tengah; Tengah is to house the F-35A and F-35B by the 2030s
How the Republic of Singapore Air Force is organised
Six commands under the Chief of Air Force, with the four air bases on the island under the Air Power Generation Command. F-16s fly from Tengah, F-15SGs and C-130s from Paya Lebar, tankers and patrol aircraft from Changi and the helicopters from Sembawang; basic and advanced jet training take place in Australia and France. MINDEF does not publish fleet numbers or base strengths, so unit placings follow Wikipedia and are marked as such.
Six commands
The RSAF, one of three services of the Singapore Armed Forces under MINDEF, is organised in the UAV, Air Combat, Participation, Air Force Training, Air Defence and Operations, and Air Power Generation Commands. MG Kelvin Fan has been Chief of Air Force since 22 March 2024.
Tengah Air Base
The F-16 base: 140, 143 and 145 Squadrons per Wikipedia, though another Wikipedia article puts 145 at Changi, with 111 Squadron’s G550 early-warning aircraft and 116 Squadron’s Hermes drones. Tengah is being enlarged to take the F-35 and the units leaving Paya Lebar.
Paya Lebar Air Base
Singapore’s international airport from 1955 to 1981, now home of the F-15SGs of 142 and 149 Squadrons and the C-130s of 122 Squadron, per Wikipedia. The base is to be vacated from around 2030, its units moving to Tengah and Changi.
Changi Air Base
The six A330 MRTTs of 112 Squadron at Changi (East), at full operational capability since 20 April 2021, and the Fokker 50s of 121 Squadron at Changi (West), whose patrol role passes to four P-8As chosen in September 2025.
Sembawang Air Base
AH-64D Apaches of 120 Squadron, the SADC’s first flying unit, the navy’s S-70B Seahawks flown by 123, Super Pumas and H225Ms of 125 and Chinooks of 126 and 127, per Wikipedia — about 100 helicopters by its count.
Flying Training Institute and 150 Squadron
Basic training on 19 PC-21s with 130 Squadron at RAAF Base Pearce in Western Australia since 1993, under an agreement extended by 25 years in 2017, and advanced jet training on 12 M-346s with 150 Squadron at Cazaux in France, there since 1998. F-16 and F-15SG crews train in the United States.
What the Republic of Singapore Air Force flies today
كل نوع متاح برسوم، ويرتبط بصفحته في كتاب الوحوش إن وجدت. تشير الأرقام إلى الطائرات المسجلة، وليس الطائرات المتاحة في يوم معين.
| يكتب | دور | في الخدمة | منذ | الوحدات | ملحوظات | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing F-15SG Strike Eagleفي الخدمة | Multirole strike fighter | 40 | 2009 | — | 40 per Wikipedia (12 ordered December 2005, options and further buys of eight in 2010 and eight in 2014). Some are based with the 428th Fighter Squadron at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho. | |
| Lockheed Martin F-16C/D/D+ Block 52/52+ Fighting Falconفي الخدمة | مقاتل متعدد المهام | — | — | About 60: Wikipedia’s inventory table gives 59. Wikipedia’s Tengah article allocates 44 to three squadrons there; the remainder train in the United States. MINDEF does not publish a figure. | ||
| لوكهيد مارتن إف-35 بي لايتنينغ 2في الخدمة | Stealth STOVL multirole fighter | 4 | — | Four listed in service by Wikipedia in 2026, all in the United States for training. 12 F-35B ordered: four in 2020 plus an option on eight taken up on 24 February 2023. | ||
| Gulfstream G550 CAEW (IAI EL/W-2085)في الخدمة | نظام الإنذار المبكر المحمول جواً | 4 | 2012 | — | Four per Wikipedia. | |
| إيرباص A330 MRTTفي الخدمة | Tanker transport | 6 | 2018 | — | Six ordered in February 2014. | |
| Lockheed C-130H and KC-130B/H Herculesفي الخدمة | ناقلة تكتيكية وناقلة وقود | — | — | About 10: Wikipedia’s inventory lists five C-130H and five KC-130B/H; its Paya Lebar article gives 10 C-130s with 122 Squadron. | ||
| Fokker 50 UTA and MPAفي الخدمة | Maritime patrol and utility transport | 5 | — | Five per Wikipedia. | ||
| بوينغ AH-64D أباتشي لونغبوفي الخدمة | مروحية هجومية | 19 | 1999 | — | 19 per Wikipedia’s table; 20 bought in two batches between 1999 and 2001. | |
| Boeing CH-47SD and CH-47F Chinookفي الخدمة | Heavy-lift helicopter | — | 1994 | — | Not confirmed: Wikipedia counted 18 CH-47D/SD in 2011; the number of CH-47Fs bought was not published in MINDEF’s 2016 release. | |
| Airbus Helicopters H225Mفي الخدمة | مروحية متوسطة الرفع | 13 | — | 13 in service and three on order per Wikipedia’s EC725 article; MINDEF did not publish the number. | ||
| Sikorsky S-70B Seahawkفي الخدمة | مروحية بحرية | 8 | — | Eight per Wikipedia. | ||
| ألينيا إيرماكي إم-346 ماسترفي الخدمة | طائرة تدريب نفاثة متطورة | 12 | 2012 | — | 12, the type’s first export order. | |
| بيلاتوس PC-21في الخدمة | مدرب أساسي | 19 | 2008 | — | 19, provided under a November 2006 contract with Lockheed Martin. | |
| Eurocopter EC120 Colibriفي الخدمة | طائرة هليكوبتر تدريبية | 5 | — | Five per Wikipedia. | ||
| إلبيت هيرميس 900في الخدمة | Unmanned ISR aircraft | — | 2025 | — | Undisclosed number. | |
| Elbit Hermes 450في الخدمة | Unmanned ISR aircraft | — | — | غير منشور. | ||
| IAI Heron 1في الخدمة | Unmanned ISR aircraft | — | — | غير منشور. | ||
| Elbit Orbiter 4في الخدمة | Close-range unmanned aircraft | — | — | غير منشور. |
عند الطلب
| يكتب | تم الطلب | التسليم الأول | ملحوظات | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| لوكهيد مارتن إف-35 بي لايتنينغ 2عند الطلب | 8 | 12 F-35B ordered in all: four approved in January 2020, the option on eight exercised on 24 February 2023.
أكثرMINDEF expected the first four by 2026 (Wikipedia lists four delivered for training in the United States) and the other eight by 2028. Qty here counts the eight not yet reported delivered. |
||
| لوكهيد مارتن إف-35 إيه لايتنينغ 2عند الطلب | 8 | 2030 | Announced by Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen in Parliament on 28 February 2024, due by 2030, bringing the F-35 total to 20.
أكثرMINDEF’s fact sheet says the F-35A, F-35B and F-15SG will form the future fighter fleet as the F-16 goes from the mid-2030s. |
|
| بوينغ بي-8 إيه بوسيدونعند الطلب | 4 | Decision confirmed in September 2025 after Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing met US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, to replace the Fokker 50 maritime patrol aircraft.
أكثرDelivery dates not published. |
||
| Airbus Helicopters H225Mعند الطلب | 3 | Three still on order per Wikipedia’s EC725 operators list; not confirmed by MINDEF. | ||
| إلبيت هيرميس 900عند الطلب | — | 2025 | Undisclosed number, delivered progressively from late 2025 to replace the Hermes 450. |
Every type the Republic of Singapore Air Force has retired
17 types, from the Aerospatiale Alouette III to the Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II, F-5S/T and RF-5S. تمثل الأرقام القصوى عدد الطائرات التي تم استلامها على مدار فترة الخدمة بأكملها، وليس قوة الأسطول في أي تاريخ محدد.
| يكتب | دور | قمة | تم تقديمه | تم استبداله بـ | ملحوظات | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II, F-5S/T and RF-5S | مقاتلة واستطلاع | — | 1979–2015 | F-16, F-15SG | At least 35: 18 F-5E and 3 F-5F by February 1979, six F-5E in 1985, three F-5F and five F-5E in 1987–1989 (Wikipedia). Some sources count more; not verified. | |
| Grumman E-2C Hawkeye | نظام الإنذار المبكر المحمول جواً | 4 | 1987–2012 | G550 AEW | أربعة. | |
| SIAI-Marchetti S.211 | مدرب نفاث | 32 | — | PC-21 | 32 including 24 assembled by Singapore Aircraft Industries and two ex-Haitian attrition replacements; seven written off. | |
| Douglas A-4S/TA-4S Skyhawk and ST Aerospace A-4SU Super Skyhawk | Attack and advanced trainer | — | 1974–2005 | F-16, M-346 (training) | About 150 airframes acquired (ex-US Navy A-4B and A-4C, many for parts): over 50 from 1973 and 70 ordered in 1980, per Wikipedia. | |
| General Dynamics F-16A/B Block 15 OCU | مقاتل | 8 | — | إف-16 سي/دي | Four F-16A and four F-16B under Peace Carvin I; one lost in a mid-air collision. | |
| Hawker Hunter FGA.74, FR.74 and T.75 | المقاتلة والهجوم الأرضي | 46 | 1971–1992 | F-5E, A-4SU | 46 refurbished aircraft: 12 FGA.74, 26 FR.74A/B and 8 T.75/A (one more T.75A lost before delivery). | |
| BAC 167 Strikemaster Mk.84 | طائرة تدريب نفاثة وطائرة هجومية خفيفة | 16 | 1969– | — | 16 arrived in October 1969. | |
| Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker | Tanker | 4 | — | A330 MRTT | أربعة. | |
| Aerospatiale AS332M Super Puma | مروحية متوسطة الرفع | — | 1983– | H225M | غير مؤكد. | |
| Aerospatiale Alouette III | طائرة هليكوبتر متعددة الأغراض | — | 1968– | — | غير مؤكد. | |
| Cessna 172K | مدرب أساسي | 8 | 1969– | — | Eight bought in May 1969, after two were hired in 1968. | |
| لوكهيد تي-33 إيه | مدرب نفاث | — | — | — | غير مؤكد. | |
| SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 | مدرب أساسي | — | — | — | غير مؤكد. | |
| Short SC.7 Skyvan | النقل الخفيف | — | — | — | غير مؤكد. | |
| Bell UH-1H/B and Bell 212 | طائرة هليكوبتر متعددة الأغراض | — | — | — | غير مؤكد. | |
| Aerospatiale AS350 Ecureuil and AS550 Fennec | مروحية خفيفة | — | — | — | غير مؤكد. | |
| Tadiran Mastiff, IAI Scout and IAI Searcher | Unmanned reconnaissance | — | — | Hermes 450, Heron 1 | غير مؤكد. |
Where the Republic of Singapore Air Force flies from
الدبابيس السوداء تمثل القواعد النشطة، أما الدبابيس المجوفة فتمثل المطارات التي تم إغلاقها. Four air bases on the island do the flying — Tengah, Paya Lebar, Changi and Sembawang — and Wikipedia records a helicopter training detachment at the civil airport of Seletar; Paya Lebar is to be vacated from around 2030. Four overseas training detachments are listed too and lie outside this map: F-16s at Luke in Arizona, F-15SGs with the 428th Fighter Squadron at Mountain Home in Idaho, PC-21s at RAAF Base Pearce in Western Australia and M-346s at Cazaux in France.
Singapore
4 of the 9 bases above sit outside Singapore, so the world map has to pull back until the home airfields cannot be told apart. The same pins again, without the overseas bases.
| قاعدة | منظمة الطيران المدني الدولي (ICAO) | حالة | المدرج | الوحدات والطائرات |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChangiChangi, East Region | WSAC | نشيط | — |
|
| Paya LebarPaya Lebar, North-East and East Regions | WSAP | نشيط | 02/203780 متراً |
|
| SembawangSembawang, North Region | WSAG | نشيط | 04/221,907 m05/231,036 m |
|
| TengahWestern Water Catchment, West Region | WSAT | نشيط | — |
|
لا توجد قاعدة جوية مطابقة لهذا البحث.
Who is stationed where in the Republic of Singapore Air Force
الوحدات الجوية حسب القاعدة، والوحدات الحالية أولاً. RSAF squadrons carry three-digit numbers — from 120 Squadron, formed with Alouette IIIs in November 1968, to 150 Squadron in France — and the British units that flew from Tengah, Seletar and Sembawang until 1971 are listed too, marked as not Singaporean. Where a squadron’s base rests on Wikipedia alone, or the sources disagree, the entry says so.
- 140 Squadronسرب مقاتل · نشط
- إف-16 سي/دي فايتينغ فالكون
- 143 Squadronسرب مقاتل · نشط
- إف-16 سي/دي فايتينغ فالكون
- 145 Squadronسرب مقاتل · نشط
- F-16D+ Block 52+ Fighting Falcon
- 111 Squadronسرب الإنذار المبكر المحمول جواً · نشط
- Gulfstream G550 CAEW
- 116 SquadronUAV squadron · active
- Elbit Hermes 450
- 130 Squadron (at Tengah)1969–
- BAC Strikemaster
- Royal Air Force squadrons (22 in all)1939–1971
- Bristol Blenheim, Hawker Hunter, Gloster Javelin, English Electric Lightning, English Electric Canberra
- 142 Squadronسرب مقاتل · نشط
- Boeing F-15SG Strike Eagle
- 149 Squadronسرب مقاتل · نشط
- Boeing F-15SG Strike Eagle, Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II (earlier)
- 122 Squadronسرب النقل · نشط
- لوكهيد سي-130 إتش هيركوليز
- 497th Combat Training Squadron (now Flight), US Air ForceExercise support unit · allied
- —
- 141 Squadron—
- F-5S/T Tiger II, RF-5S
- 144 Squadron—
- F-5S/T Tiger II
- 112 SquadronTanker-transport squadron · active
- إيرباص A330 MRTT
- 121 SquadronUtility transport and maritime patrol squadron · active
- Fokker 50 UTA
- 145 Squadron (disputed location)سرب مقاتل · نشط
- F-16D+ Block 52+
- السرب 120سرب طائرات الهليكوبتر الهجومية · نشط
- بوينغ AH-64D أباتشي لونغبو
- 123 SquadronNaval helicopter squadron · active
- Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk
- 125 SquadronMedium-lift helicopter squadron · active
- Aerospatiale AS332M Super Puma, Airbus H225M
- 126 and 127 SquadronsHeavy-lift helicopter squadrons · active
- Boeing CH-47D/SD Chinook
- 124 Squadron—
- Eurocopter EC120 Colibri
- Royal Naval Air Station Sembawang (HMS Simbang)1945–1971
- —
لا توجد وحدة مطابقة لهذا البحث.
Republic of Singapore Air Force milestones, 1914 to today
1 September: the Singapore Air Defence Command (SADC) is formed, starting with two Cessnas. November: the first Alouette III helicopters form 120 Squadron.
May: eight Cessna 172Ks, the first aircraft bought, arrive for 37 pioneer pilots chosen from over 500 applicants. October: 16 Strikemasters reach Tengah and form 130 Squadron.
June: 24 Oerlikon 35mm guns are acquired, the start of 160 Squadron. November: the first locally trained fighter pilots graduate (Wikipedia).
The British withdrawal: Tengah, Seletar, Sembawang and Changi are handed over, Changi on 9 December. Hunter deliveries begin, 46 in all by 1973.
The Black Knights display team forms at Tengah on Hunters; A-4 Skyhawks are bought, about 150 airframes over the next decade.
1 April: the SADC is renamed the Republic of Singapore Air Force.
By February, 18 F-5E and three F-5F Tiger IIs have been delivered.
19 September: first flight of the F404-engined A-4SU Super Skyhawk.
January: F-16 pilot training begins in the United States. The Flying Training Institute starts operating from RAAF Base Pearce in Western Australia.
150 Squadron is established at Cazaux in France; the first of 18 A-4SUs arrive in 1999.
31 March: the A-4SU leaves front-line service after 31 years. 6 September: the F-15SG is chosen over the Rafale.
13 July: the PC-21 begins basic flying training at Pearce, replacing the S.211.
13 April: the G550 takes over airborne early warning from the E-2C. 15 November: M-346s begin flying at Cazaux (Wikipedia).
September: 144 Squadron disbands and the F-5S is retired.
7 November: MINDEF signs contracts for H225M and CH-47F helicopters.
20 April: the six A330 MRTTs reach full operational capability with 112 Squadron.
28 February: eight F-35As announced, for 20 F-35s in all. 22 March: Brigadier-General Kelvin Fan becomes Chief of Air Force.
September: four P-8A Poseidons chosen. November: Hermes 900 drones start to replace the Hermes 450.
Every operation the Republic of Singapore Air Force has flown
الطلعات الجوية والخسائر حيثما يسمح السجل بذلك، وفراغ تام حيثما لا يسمح بذلك.
- Iraq War contribution 2003–2008 Sent aircraft to the Persian Gulf on rotations of two to three months; no ground combat troops
- أفغانستان (إيساف) 2007–2013 Part of Singapore’s stabilisation and reconstruction contribution; the RSAF sent a 52-strong UAV task group in 2010
- Counter-piracy in the Gulf of Aden 2009– Air force helicopters and patrol aircraft supported the multinational counter-piracy mission
- Coalition against Islamic State 2014– Air-to-air refuelling with a KC-135R tanker and intelligence analysts for the US-led coalition
- Indian Ocean tsunami relief 2004–2005 Disaster relief with helicopters and transport aircraft
Republic of Singapore Air Force news from Afterburner
Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the aircraft it flies. يتم تحديث هذه القائمة تلقائيًا - تظهر قصص Afterburner الجديدة هنا تلقائيًا.
Everything people ask about the Republic of Singapore Air Force
What is the Republic of Singapore Air Force called in Malay, Chinese and Tamil?
What fighter jets does Singapore fly?
When was the Republic of Singapore Air Force founded?
Does Singapore have F-35s?
Why does the RSAF train in the United States, France and Australia?
What was the A-4SU Super Skyhawk?
Who are the RSAF Black Knights?
Has the Republic of Singapore Air Force ever fought a war?
Who commands the Republic of Singapore Air Force?
Which air bases does the RSAF use?
Read the aircraft the Republic of Singapore Air Force flew
كل نوع له صفحة في كتاب الوحوش، في الخدمة أولاً، ثم حسب السنة التي غادر فيها الأسطول.
كل حقيقة، تم التحقق منها
- RSAF: History of the RSAF (significant events, 1968 to present)SADC born September 1968 with two Cessnas; November 1968 first Alouette IIIs form 120 Squadron; May 1969 eight Cessna 172Ks and 37 pioneer pilots (selected from over 500 applicants); October 1969 16 Strikemasters at Tengah form 130 Squadron; June 1970 24 Oerlikon 35mm guns (160 Squadron). Only the first page of the paginated list could be read.
- RSAF: History1968 British withdrawal announcement (by March 1971); SADC established 1 September 1968; air force raised from scratch.
- RSAF: AircraftOfficial list of current types, read 30 September 2026: F-15SG, F-16C/D/D+, H225M (replacing AS332M), CH-47F (replacing CH-47D), AH-64D, S-70B, M-346, PC-21, G550-AEW (replaced E-2C), A330 MRTT, C-130, Fokker 50 UTA/MPA, Hermes 900, Hermes 450, Heron 1, Orbiter 4. The F-35 is not listed.
- RSAF: Organisational StructureChief of Air Force Major-General Kelvin Fan; Air Force Command Chief ME6 Ng See Lye; nine HQ RSAF departments; six commands.
- RSAF: RSAF ForcesThe six commands: UAV Command, Air Combat Command, Participation Command, Air Force Training Command, Air Defence and Operations Command, Air Power Generation Command.
- RSAF: Air Combat CommandFour groups: Fighter Group, Transport Group, Integrated System Development Group, Operations Development Group.
- RSAF: Our Value in PeaceSearch and rescue, HADR and peace support operations: MH370 (10 aircraft), USS John S. McCain (2017), Harvey (four CH-47D, 34 airmen), Nepal 2015 (11 C-130 flights, 71 Singaporeans evacuated), Indonesian fires 2015, Rakhine aid by KC-135R (Oct 2018), counter-ISIS KC-135R from 2014, 52-strong UAV task group in Afghanistan in 2010, Gulf of Aden counter-piracy from 2009.
- MINDEF: Fact Sheet: F-35A Fighter Aircraft (28 February 2024)F-35A buy part of the future fighter fleet of F-35As, F-35Bs and F-15SGs; F-16s to be phased out from the mid-2030s.
- MINDEF: MINDEF Signs Contracts to Acquire New Medium- and Heavy-Lift Helicopters (7 November 2016)H225M from Airbus Helicopters and CH-47F from Boeing to replace the Super Puma (in service since 1983) and the Chinook (since 1994); quantities not stated.
- MINDEF: New Chief of Air Force Takes Command (22 March 2024)BG Kelvin Fan Sui Siong took over from MG Kelvin Khong Boon Leong (chief since March 2019) at Tengah Air Base; Khong’s tenure saw the A330 MRTT and F-35 acquired and humanitarian missions to Gaza, Afghanistan and Australia.
- Lockheed Martin F35.com: SingaporeSecurity Cooperation Participant since 2003; F-35 selected 2019; US approval of F-35B sale 2020.
- MINDEF: RSAF F-16 crash at Tengah Air Base (8 May 2024)12:35, issue on take-off, pilot ejected, conscious and able to walk, aircraft crashed within the base.
- MINDEF: Update 3 on F-16 crash (18 May 2024)Pitch rate gyroscopes gave erroneous inputs to the flight control computer; simultaneous failure of all four, first in 35 years of RSAF F-16 operations; every gyroscope to be checked.
- MINDEF: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong Officiates the RSAF’s Golden Jubilee Parade (1 September 2018)At Tengah Air Base; about 1,400 guests, 20 aircraft on static display and 20 in the flypast; mural of 50,000 photographs; quote of the Prime Minister.
- RSAF: Air Power Generation CommandThe command responsible for the air bases and their support squadrons; individual bases are not described.
Figures verified 2026-09-30. Order of Battle pages are regenerated from a single dataset; if a number here disagrees with a Book of Beasts page, this page is the more recent of the two.
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