National Day Parade Other Features : Rsaf-Tni Au Combined Flypast | Rsaf 49Th Anniversary Issue No
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Republic of Singapore FULL SPECTRUM . INTEGRATED . READY Issue No. 147 2017 NATIONAL DAY PARADE OTHER FEATURES : RSAF-TNI AU COMBINED FLYPAST | RSAF 49TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE NO. 147 / 2017 AFN MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE Chairman COL Lim Kok Siong Members LTC Cindy Chua LTC Lily Foo LTC Koh Boon Tih National Day Parade LTC Cecilia Ong PG 4 LTC Tan Giam LTC Michael Wong Ms Heng Ai Buay Ms Loh Seok Chen Editors LTC Melvyn Tan LTC Charles Chua Assistant Editor Ms Ng Yun Wen Staff Writers & Photographers CPL Ivan Chua PTE Bradley Gerard RSAF - TNI AU PTE Sng Qiyang PG 10 Combined Flypast PTE Darren Tan REC Edward Sim REC Andy Tay Pg 27 The opinions and views herein are those expressed by the writers and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) or the Ministry of Defence. The material in Air Force News is not to be reproduced in whole or in part without the written consent of the RSAF. We Value Your Feedback! If you have any feedback or comments about Air Force News, please email [email protected] Like Us on Facebook! Facebook.com/TheRSAF Follow Us on Twitter & Instagram! @TheRSAF | #TheRSAF PG 16 RSAF 49th Anniversary 2 FEATURED WRITERS Pg 15 Exercise Red Flag - Nellis – CPL Ivan Chua – s I bid farewell to my time over here in Air AForce Information Centre, I can look back and safely say that this experience has been nothing short of amazing. Being able to see so many different aspects of the RSAF and the world class people that contribute to it HADR to Southern gives me great confidence that our Air Force is Pg 23 Philippines CAF Visits 142 SQN indeed ready to defend our skies when called Pg 25 upon. MINDEF PRIDE CDF Visits Cazaux – PTE Darren Tan – Day 2017 Air Base ince coming in to Air Force Information Pg 27 Pg 28 SCentre, I began to appreciate more deeply the amount of effort put in by our airmen and women to defend our skies 24/7. It has been Pg 4 — 9 National Day Parade a real eye-opening experience, as I am able to Pg 10 — 14 RSAF - TNI AU Combined Flypast see every aspect of the Air Force, and how they Pg 15 Exercise Red Flag - Nellis work together to ensure operational readiness. I will always be proud of being a part of this Pg 16 — 17 RSAF 49th Anniversary First Class Air Force. Above all! Pg 18 Exercise Airguard Pg 19 Insight - M-346 Advanced Jet Trainer Pg 20 — 22 Our Valued Partners Pg 22 — 28 Happenings in the RSAF Pg 29 — 31 Awards and Ceremonies We would like to thank Mr Raymond Pg 32 Developing Our People Lee (www.MAphotoSG.com) for the kind contribution of the cover photo Pg 33 My Air Force Story for this issue. Pg 34 — 35 Changes in Appointments Pg 35 Sneak Peeks 3 National Day Parade Story by Bradley Gerard Design by Qiyang Sng An amber glow was cast over the spectator’s stand as the 25,000 strong crowd gathered at The Float @ Marina Bay on our nation’s birthday celebration in a sea of red, white and jubilant smiles. The theme for this year’s parade was #OneNationTogether – a rallying call to unite all Singaporeans to stand together and overcome all odds as a community. 4 or the first time in the National Day Parade (NDP), Fthe hash symbol (#) was incorporated into the NDP theme through the image of the four interlocking hands, which originated from the first Singapore ten- dollar note minted, to symbolize unity and home. High up above in the clouds, a Super Puma helicopter hovered over the Floating Platform, before the Red Lions leapt off into a free-falling formation to greet the anticipating crowd, 10,000 feet below. The Red Lions, a crowd favourite, returned after a two-year hiatus to tumultuous applause. Soon, a thunderous roar heralded the arrival of the F-15SG fighter aircraft as part of the Dynamic Defence Display (D3) segment. The D3 segment is an integrated showcase by Singapore’s security forces. The first part of the D3 segment saw the Singapore Armed Forces unleash their array of military assets. The F-15SG fighter aircraft performed death-defying stunts, such as the Shackle and the High-G Combat Turn, thrilling the crowd. Upon its departure, two Apache attack helicopters surged through the sheet of clouds and hovered just above the Floating Platform in a show of the RSAF’s aerial might. These were a lead in for the Chinook helicopter which released naval divers into the bay waters as part of the Helocast mission. In total, this year’s D3 segment featured 500 participants and more than 50 assets from the Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force. In celebration of 50 years of National Service and tying in with the theme of “From My Generation to Yours”, NDP kicked off by paying a special tribute to the core group of people who had a hand in keeping our nation secure each day – National Servicemen Parade (NSmen). A video charting the evolution of National Service over the years from the first generation to the third generation was screened, and all NSmen of the past and present, as well as their family members, were invited to stand as they were saluted by the marching contingents. This served as a reminder to the new generation of soldiers about the importance of safeguarding Singapore and continuing the legacy that was left behind by their fathers and forefathers. In recognition of their efforts, the first round of the gun salute was fired by Operationally-ready NSmen. The Parade Commander, LTC (NS) Lim Wee Tee, led the SAF Colours Party along with 31 marching contingents and 2000 participants which represented the five pillars of Total Defence. Sharing his rigorous training for the parade, LTC (NS) Lim said, “I hadn’t picked up a sword nor put on a uniform like this for 21 years. I was very rusty, very out of touch but nonetheless I had a fantastic group of trainers who had been training me very hard over the past year in terms of drills and diction for the Malay commands.” 5 An iconic moment of the NDP was the State Flag Flypast. The National Anthem was sung as the Chinook helicopter flew the State Flag across the audience with clockwork precision, escorted by two Apache attack helicopters. For the first time, five F-15SG fighter aircraft delivered the widely anticipated bomb-burst against the backdrop of the Marina Bay skyline, in a salute to the nation. NDP 2017 also marked then President Tony Tan Keng Yam’s last parade celebration as Head-of-State. President Tan inspected the parade contingents as the Reviewing Officer, before greeting the crowd for the last time. The second part of the D3 segment commenced with a simulated terrorist attack, and saw the SAF; the Home Team, consisting of the Singapore Police Force and the Singapore Civil Defence Force; as well as civilians, responding to combat the threats and rescue the hostages. With that, the show segment began, amidst the backdrop of the night as a dazzling array of colours illuminated the stage and the bay area. Numerous set pieces were brought to life by the performers, signifying the nation’s multicultural history through vibrant storytelling. 300 unmanned drones were also utilized in creating seven constellations in the sky, including a Merlion, a heart, and the crescent moon with the five stars. Finally, a magnificent fireworks display adorned the dusk with showers of multicoloured sparks as the parade drew to a fiery close, punctuating the sky with the success of yet another NDP celebration. The NS50 tribute not only recognised NSmen, but also recognised the families. We know that when NSmen go to the camps to report for duty, it is really the families helming the home front so they “were also asked to stand up for the salute by the parade contingent. — COL Koh Ee Wen, Chairman of NDP17's Parade and Ceremony Committee 6 Behind The Scenes Our airmen and women have gone out of their way to ensure that NDP 17 was a memorable and meaningful one. Here are some of the key preparatory events that took place in the lead up to the actual day. State Flag Preparation A staple in every NDP celebration, the flying of the State Flag by the Chinook has become one of the many features synonymous with our patriotism and identity as Singaporeans. However, the flag itself, measuring a whopping 18.2 x 27 m (about the size of a basketball court) The RSAF pioneers in front of the Alouette III helicopter and weighing 1247 kg, actually takes a fair bit of time to prepare. The flypast is flown by personnel from 127 SQN, with the State Flag prepared at Pulau Sudong by the flag party prior to the NDP. The yearly flag party consists of 300 personnel supporting the preparation of the State Flag, which includes the rolling and rigging of the flag. The whole preparatory process can take up to a few hours, with the rolling of the flag alone taking two hours. When asked about the challenges of executing the demanding task, CO 127 SQN, LTC Liao Minghao said, The RSAF pioneers on board the Chinook helicopter “What seems simple and like clockwork actually takes a lot of effort. I think the amount of preparation we put into this flight helps to reduce a lot of the uncertainty.” This year, RSAF pioneers who previously participated in the State Flag Flypast were invited to fly on the Chinook helicopter to view the Flypast for the NDP-NE Show held on 15 Jul 17.