Defense
News
02/13/2012
Interview:
MAJ. GEN. NG CHEE MENG
Singapore’s
Chief of Air Force
By
Wendell Minnick
The
Republic of Singapore may be one of the world's smallest countries, but its Air
Force is half the size of France's. And between Feb. 14-19, the country's Air
Force chief, Maj. Gen. Ng Chee Meng, will be a central player in the Singapore
Airshow, the biennial aerospace gathering that is among the region's biggest.
A graduate of the
U.S. Air Force Academy and a fighter pilot, Ng hails from a legendary military
family. As air chief, he succeeded his older brother, Maj. Gen. Ng Chee Khern,
who is now the director of Singapore’s Security and Intelligence Division, and serves
alongside his younger brother, Rear Adm. Ng Chee Peng, chief of the Singapore
Navy.
Q.
What are the roles and responsibilities of the RSAF in the air defense of
Singapore and in boosting regional security?
A.
The RSAF’s core mission is to safeguard Singapore’s sovereignty by keeping our
skies safe. While our core mission remains unchanged, developments in the
security landscape post-Sept. 11, as well as new technologies introduced, have
posed new challenges and opportunities that require the Singapore armed forces
and the RSAF to transform to be more effective. The security environment is
constantly evolving and has become increasingly complex with the global rise in
nonconventional and nontraditional threats, such as transnational terrorism and
natural disasters.
Close
cooperation between various countries is required to effectively counter these
threats. As such, we have participated in various multilateral initiatives and
exercises aimed at enhancing security in the region. The combined maritime air
patrols over the Malacca Strait and our participation in multinational efforts
to counter piracy in the Gulf of Aden are some examples. Regular exercises with
our international partners have also enhanced mutual understanding and
interoperability. Such mutual understanding has proved to be useful when we
have to work closely together during multinational operations, such as the
stabilization and reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Developments in
network, unmanned and sensor technologies have also presented opportunities to
us. In a battlefield of the future, the advantage lies in the ability to
harness technology and maximize its capabilities. We are working toward a fully
networked force that will magnify combat power, and these technological
advances will help us overcome our structural and geographical limitations.
Overall,
the RSAF has made good progress in its transformation. We will continue to be
ready round-the-clock to fulfill the roles and responsibilities entrusted to
the RSAF, and to contribute to the enhancement of regional security in line
with our national interests.
Q.
Since 2007, the RSAF has been transforming itself into a “3rd Generation” air
force. How is that going?
A.
The transformation is progressing well. The RSAF has completed its reorganization
from an airbase-centric structure to a task-oriented force anchored by the five
operational commands and a training command. This restructuring has provided us
with the foundation upon which we can further develop.
For
example, the new structure provides the RSAF with the flexibility to deal with
increases in operational tempo; it enhances our capacity to assimilate new
technology in support of Singapore Armed Forces’ operations in an increasingly
complex and uncertain strategic environment.
It
also enhances the RSAF’s integration with the Army and Navy, allowing the RSAF
to contribute more decisively to the armed forces’ operations across the air,
land and sea domains.
We
have also achieved good progress in our force modernization efforts. In the
past few years, major operations and exercises have demonstrated the 3rd
Generation RSAF’s enhanced capabilities. For example, in the recently concluded
Exercise Forging Sabre in December, we planned and executed integrated strike
operations against a variety of targets under day and night conditions.
Involving assets such as our F-15SG, F-16C/D and AH-64D, the exercise validated
our ability to employ advance strike munitions such as the Joint Direct Attack
Munitions [JDAM] and Hellfire missiles. It also saw our F-15SG employing the
Laser JDAM against a variety of targets, including mobile targets.
Going
forward, our focus will be on the operationalization of our latest acquisitions
announced last year — the surface-to-air Python-5 and Derby [SPYDER]
ground-based air defense system, as well as the Heron 1 UAV.
Another
key thrust of the 3rd Generation RSAF is the development of our people. Our
people have been instrumental to the success of the RSAF in the past 43 years —
the RSAF has consistently proven its ability to deliver in operations,
exercises and long-term force development initiatives; such successes would not
have been possible without the commitment, hard work and professional competencies
of our people.
I
firmly believe that our people will continue to be a force multiplier for the
RSAF and a key factor in the success of our transformation. Hence, nurturing
our people has been and will continue to be an important focus for the years to
come.
Q.
What are the processes that the RSAF follows to assess and procure new
equipment? What are your plans for future procurements?
A.
We make procurement decisions only after a comprehensive evaluation of our
operational requirements. Working with the Defense Science & Technology Agency,
we will survey the market for the most suitable platforms and equipment that
meet our requirements in a cost-effective manner. Our current range of aircraft
and equipment has served us well and continues to meet our requirements.
Q.
Is Singapore still opting for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter as your
next-generation fighter?
A.
With the constant emergence of new technologies, as a forward-looking air force
we will continue to look out for suitable, cost-effective technologies and
solutions to modernize and enhance our capabilities to meet our operational
needs. For example, we remain a security cooperation participant in the system
development and demonstration phase of the F-35 program, and will continue to
evaluate it to determine if it meets our future operational requirements.
Q.
When do you plan to replace or upgrade your C-130 transport planes?
A.
Aside from the procurement of new platforms, we have other avenues to meet our
operational needs. For example, our C-130 fleet is currently being upgraded.
The upgraded aircraft will be equipped with new avionics, mission systems and
self-protection suites. They will have digital glass cockpits, as well as
modern navigation, communication and flight management systems. The upgraded
C-130s will meet our requirements for some time to come.
Q.
Singapore selected the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 as its next trainer jet. How far
along is your advanced fighter trainer procurement?
A.
As a forward-looking air force, we adopt a holistic approach to our
transformation. We have embarked on a flying training transformation to produce
more capable pilots to meet our operational requirements. One key thrust of
this transformation is the replacement of aging training platforms with more
capable and cost-effective trainers, like the PC-21 and M-346.
We
awarded a contract to Singapore Technologies Aerospace in September 2010 to
acquire the M-346 aircraft and a ground-based training system for our advanced
trainer replacement program. These are expected to be delivered sometime this
year.
Q.
How far along is Singapore’s UAV program? A. Our program is making good
progress. We have procured the H-450 UAV, which offers better endurance and
improved onboard avionics, communication systems and surveillance capabilities.
We have also acquired the Heron 1, a medium-altitude UAV, to replace the
Searcher-class UAV, which has been in service since 1994.
Q.
Do you see smaller UAVs with more advanced and compact sensors replacing some
of the current fleet?
A.
We see smaller UAVs as complementary to our existing fleet. For example, the
Singapore Armed Forces has previously deployed the smaller Skyblade III UAVs to
support Army battalion operations, providing them with real-time video images
of its area of operations, both within and beyond line of sight. We will
continue to keep tabs on the industry’s developments and leverage on the latest
in unmanned technologies to fulfill our operational needs.
Q.
Defense budgets around the world are being slashed. Do you expect similar
defense expenditure setbacks?
A.
In Singapore, we recognize that defense is a necessary investment for peace and
stability, and to protect our vital interests. The Singapore Armed Forces takes
a long- term view of our defense needs and force planning. Building an
effective defense force takes many years and cannot be done in fits and starts.
It will usually take quite a few years to bring a major new capability into
service — from conception to bringing the system into operation with fully
trained servicemen and supporting infrastructure.
Q.
How have you worked around the training-space issues you have with neighboring
countries?
A.
Singapore has a very small airspace. We overcome our limitations through the
use of advanced flight simulators, which are effective for junior pilots to
acquire flying skills, as well as for experienced pilots to train on new
operating procedures. These high-fidelity simulators provide for more focused
training as missions can be closely monitored and accurately debriefed.
To give our pilots
more hands-on experience with their platforms, we conduct part of our training
overseas — for example, we conduct training exercises in countries such as Australia,
France, India, Indonesia, Thailand and the U.S. We appreciate their continued
support for our training requirements, which has allowed us to build up our operational
readiness.
SERVICE
PROFILE
Budget:
Singapore doesn’t disclose individual services’ budgets. Its defense budget for
2010 (latest available) was $7.6 billion.
Personnel:
13,500
Aircraft: 422,
including F-16D Block 52+ Fighting Falcon fighter, F-5E/F Tiger II fighter,
F-15SG Eagle fighter, C-130 Hercules cargo transport, CH-47 Chinook cargo
helicopter, Gulfstream G550, AS 332 Super Puma helicopter, KC-135 Stratotanker,
AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter, S- 70B Seahawk helicopter, PC-21 trainer,
Hermes 450 UAV, F-50.
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