AVIATION ENGINEERING “DTC IS THE SECRET-EDGE WEAPON OF THE SAF” DR NG ENG HEN MINISTER FOR DEFENCE The opinions and views expressed in this work are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect II the official views of the Ministry of Defence TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword Message Preface 1 CHAPTER 1 : Where We Were Section 1.1 How It All Started Section 1.2 Some History of the Early Engineering Work in Support of the RSAF 22 CHAPTER 2 : Pioneering Spirit Section 2.1 Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Section 2.2 Engineering Development - Modifications and Upgrading Section 2.3 Service Life Extension Programme (SLEP) Section 2.4 Managing Technologies Section 2.5 “Commercialisation” Section 2.6 Values and Necessities 61 CHAPTER 3 : Some Major Milestones Section 3.1 The A-4 Crisis Section 3.2 Conversion Programmes 3.2.1 New Engine for the Skyhawk 3.2.2 A-4 Avionics Upgrade (1985) – First Major Avionics Upgrade Undertaken 3.2.3 F-5E/F WDNS Upgrade – Unleashing the Tiger 3.2.4 Giving the F-5 an Eye in the Sky – F-5E to RF-5E Conversion 3.2.5 Upgrade Capability Serving Overseas F-5 Users 3.2.6 Brazilian Air Force F-5E/F Upgrade 3.2.7 Upgrading of the Hercules C-130 3.2.8 F-16 3.2.9 F-15SG Capability Build-up Section 3.3 Surveillance Aircraft 3.3.1 E-2C 3.3.2 Fokker 50 Maritime Patrol Aircraft Conversion 3.3.3 G550 Section 3.4 Rotary Wing Evolution 3.4.1 Vertical Lift in the RSAF 3.4.2 The Super Puma Experience 3.4.3 Developing the Light Observation Helicopter and Light Attack Helicopter 3.4.4 Heavy-Lift Helicopter Evaluation – The Russian Experience Section 3.5 Commercial Aviation 3.5.1 Endeavours into Commercial Aircraft MRO 3.5.2 Endeavours into Commercial MRO – Engines 3.5.3 Endeavours into Commercial MRO – Components 3.5.4 Components Manufacturing Capability Section 3.6 Engineering Development for Commercial Aviation 3.6.1 Supporting Commercial Aviation MRO 3.6.2 Cabin Interiors Engineering Section 3.7 Unmanned Aircraft Development 146 CHAPTER 4 : Aviation Engineering Capabilities – Processes and Products Section 4.1 Life Cycle Management Section 4.2 Engineering Software Capabilities Section 4.3 Electromagnetic Compatibility Capability Section 4.4 Establishing a Global MRO Footprint Section 4.5 Passenger to Freighter (PTF) Conversions Section 4.6 Power-by-the-Hour Section 4.7 Low Cost Airlines Section 4.8 Delving into New Product Development 4.8.1 EC-120 Helicopter 4.8.2 Mission Computer 4.8.3 Boeing B757 Passenger-to-Freighter Conversions 4.8.4 Airbus Aircraft Passenger-to-Freighter Conversion 4.8.5 Parts Manufactured under FAA Requirements 4.8.6 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles 204 CHAPTER 5 : Intertwined and Separate Needs Section 5.1 How Each Evolved 5.1.1 1st Gen RSAF to 3rd Gen RSAF 5.1.2 Support for the RSAF and Commercial Aviation Section 5.2 Common Strategic Interests Section 5.3 Sustainability and Growth 214 CHAPTER 6 : Endeavours to be Excellent Section 6.1 The RSAF as a Leading Air Force Section 6.2 ST Aerospace, the RSAF's Partner in the Defence of Singapore, A Competitive Global Aviation Services Company, Singapore’s Own 224 CHAPTER 7 : What the Future Holds 228 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 232 GLOSSARY 237 INDEX FOREWORD The journey of Singapore’s Defence engineers and scientists stands at the frontier The stories that are told in this book series Technology Community (DTC) parallels of technological progress. Indeed the DTC is should lift the spirits of Singaporeans, old that of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) the secret-edge weapon of the SAF. and young. They celebrate what pioneers – indeed both were co-dependent and and successive generations of committed iterative processes which fed off As the DTC celebrates its 50th anniversary, scientists and engineers have accomplished each other’s success. Pioneers in both we want to thank especially its pioneers over the years. But they also give hope to our communities recognised very early on the who were committed to achieve the future, as they will serve as reminders during stark limitations of a small island with no unthinkable and were not daunted by severe difficult times to overcome challenges and geographical depth and limited manpower. challenges along the way. Their efforts and continue to keep Singapore safe and secure But despite this realisation, they were beliefs have spawned world class agencies for many years to come. undaunted and shared a common resolve such as DSTA and DSO, and the family of to mitigate Singapore’s vulnerabilities Singapore Technologies (ST) companies. and constraints, and build a credible SAF through sheer will, commitment and the More hearteningly, the virtuous effects harnessing of the powers of technology. In extend into mainstream society too. Dr Goh Keng Swee’s words, “we have to Today the defence cluster of DSTA, DSO, Dr Ng Eng Hen supplement the SAF’s manpower with new MINDEF, the SAF and ST employs the Minister for Defence technology, as manpower constraints will largest proportion of scientists and engineers Singapore always be there. Our dependency should in Singapore – almost one in every 12! It be more on technology than manpower. is not an overstatement that these entities And we must develop indigenously that have been the main receptacles to maintain technological edge.” As worthy and the science and technology capabilities in important as these ideals were, it was an our nation, providing life-long careers in the arduous journey for the DTC. With poor process. standards of general education, let alone engineers or scientists, how could Singapore Beyond defence, the DTC has also positively develop such capabilities? impacted our society in a variety of ways: in producing mass thermal scanners to combat This book series chronicles the last 50 years the 2003 SARS outbreak, in designing and of that ascent that begun in 1966. The DTC building the iconic Marina Bay Floating has indeed come a long way from its humble Platform to host the National Day Parades and beginnings and with it, a transformation sports events, in breaking new ground and of the SAF’s capabilities. Today, both old mindsets when we built the underground the SAF and the DTC are respected storage for munitions, in forming the nucleus professional bodies and the requests from to start the MRO (maintenance, repair and advanced economies to collaborate reflect overhaul) industries to service airlines in the standards which we have achieved. Singapore and globally. Our closely-knit community of defence AVIATION ENGINEERING AVIATION ENGINEERING MESSAGE The Defence Technology Community (DTC) • The integration of the RSN’s missile renowned R&D partners locally and around has steadily evolved over the last 50 years. We gunboats and missile corvettes which the world, I am confident that the DTC will started off as a small, three-man technical built up the DTC’s confidence to move remain steadfast in delivering the critical department in the Logistics Division in 1966 on to specify and acquire best of breed technologies and innovative solutions for supporting defence equipment procurement systems to integrate into new ships like the SAF and the nation. May the stories in and there was much work to be done. The the frigates. It also laid the foundations these books inspire our current and future Army then was largely equipped with for ST Engineering’s capabilities to design defence engineers and scientists to continue second-hand vehicles and surplus equipment and build ships for the RSN and some to push boundaries and think creatively to left by the British. The Republic of other navies. deliver capabilities that will safeguard our Singapore Navy (RSN) had two boats, one • The conversion of old US Navy’s A-4 sovereignty for the years to come. steel and the other wooden. Recognising the Skyhawk aircraft into the A-4SU Super need to overcome the immutable challenges Skyhawk for the Republic of Singapore of geography and resource constraints Air Force, building up ST Engineering’s facing Singapore, we extended our scope to capabilities to undertake further aircraft include conceptualisation, development and upgrades such as for the F-5E Tiger fighter upgrade of defence systems. These efforts aircraft, and to undertake servicing and Mr Ng Chee Khern leverage the force multiplying effects of repair of commercial aircraft. Permanent Secretary (Defence Development) technology to meet the unique challenges • The system-of-systems integration Ministry of Defence, Singapore and operational requirements of the Singapore efforts to evolve the island air defence Armed Forces (SAF), beyond what could be system, building on legacy systems left had buying off-the-shelf. by the British to seamlessly incorporate new weapons, sensors, and indigenously This four-book “Engineering Singapore’s developed command and control systems Defence – The Early Years” series covers the to extend the range and coverage of entire spectrum of the DTC’s work in the Singapore’s air defence umbrella, and land, air and sea domains to deliver cutting- the build-up of the DTC as a system-of- edge technological capabilities to the SAF. systems to deliver cutting-edge capabilities It chronicles our 50-year journey and and systems to the SAF, and to meet the documents the largely unheard stories of technology requirements of the nation. our people – their challenges, struggles and triumphs, their resolve and ingenuity, and While not exhaustive, these stories provide their persistence in overcoming the odds. us with a glimpse of the “dare-to-do” and These stories include: enterprising spirit that our DTC personnel and forerunners possess. • The upgrading of the French-made AMX-13 light tank to the AMX-13 SM1 There is no end to change and transformation.