Singapore and Malaysian Air Forces Conducted Annual Bilateral Exercise to Strengthen Search and Rescue Coordination

Singapore’s Chief of Staff, Air Staff, BG Ho Kum Luen and Malaysia’s Deputy Chief of the RMAF, Lt Gen Dato’ Nur Hafis bin Abdul Karim, together with exercise participants from both air forces at the Opening Ceremony of SAREX MALSING 2025.

BG Ho and Lt Gen Nur Hafis co-officiating the Opening Ceremony of SAREX MALSING 2025.

RSAF Medical Officer sharing operational insights on the conduct of search and rescue (SAR) operations during the exercise participants’ professional exchange.

The RSAF H225M helicopter executing a night-time wet-winching operation as part of the exercise.

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) successfully concluded the seventh edition of the bilateral Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX) MALSING. Hosted at Sembawang Air Base, Singapore from 3 to 5 September 2025, the exercise involved the RSAF H225M and RMAF EC725 helicopters, along with aircrew, ground crew and medical teams from both air forces. 

The three-day exercise saw participants from both sides jointly conduct a series of helicopter medical evacuation operations, which included day and night search and rescue (SAR) scenarios that were designed to enhance mission planning and execution in a realistic training environment. The exercise participants also searched for survivors following a simulated mishap off the southern coast of Singapore, and conducted winching operations to expeditiously evacuate survivors that were adrift in the waters. 

Singapore’s Chief of Staff, Air Staff, Brigadier-General (BG) Ho Kum Luen, and Deputy Chief of the RMAF, Lieutenant-General Dato’ Nur Hafis bin Abdul Karim co-officiated the opening ceremony on 3 September 2025. Speaking at the ceremony, BG Ho said, “Malaysia and Singapore will always be bound by shared history, geography, culture and kinship. The strategic and professional ties that we want to build between the two Air Forces would not be possible without strong interpersonal ties. So let us ensure that through the exercise, we will not only strengthen professional linkages, but more importantly, further deepen our personal relationships and build mutual trust, because that is the real strategic value of SAREX MALSING”. 

Echoing similar sentiments, Lt Gen Nur Hafis added, “Our role in regional security is not just about maintaining peace and order within our borders. We are key players in shaping the future, especially the ASEAN region. We understand well that achieving this goal is only possible through cooperation, and through exercises like SAREX MALSING, we reaffirm our commitment to this vision, ensuring that we work not only for the security of our own nations but also for the greater good of the international community”.

The annual bilateral exercise showcases the professionalism and rapport shared by the personnel of both air forces, while underscoring the warm and long-standing defence ties between Singapore and Malaysia. Over the years, the RSAF and RMAF have interacted and cooperated regularly across a wide range of activities, including bilateral visits and professional exchanges, as well as multilateral exercises under the ambit of the Five Power Defence Arrangements.