Speech by Minister for Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen, at the Peace Carvin II 20th Anniversary Parade, at Luke Air Force Base

Chairman, Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs,
Dr Lim Wee Kiak
Chief of the Republic of Singapore Air Force, MG Hoo Cher Mou,
Commander, United States Pacific Air Forces, General Herbert Carlisle,
Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, Ms Heidi Grant,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good morning.

I am delighted to join you this morning to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)'s Peace Carvin (PC) II detachment. This is the RSAF's longest running overseas detachment. I want to record Singapore's thanks to the United States Air Force (USAF) for their strong support for PC II over the past 20 years. The presence of your senior leadership - Commander PACAF General Carlisle and Deputy Under Secretary Grant - is testimony to our close partnership and the importance you place on our bilateral defence cooperation.

Peace Carvin II History and Transformation Journey

In the last two decades, Singapore's air defence capabilities have progressed significantly. Here, the US Government and the USAF have played an important role by providing training opportunities and sharing of practices. In its formative years, RSAF pilots could only dream of flying modern fighter jets. We started with the British-made Hawker Hunters, produced in the 1950s. The Hunters had a combat radius of only about 380 nautical miles and carried just short-range air-to-air missiles and general purpose unguided bombs. For a small country like Singapore, it was critical that we upgraded our air defence capabilities for effective deterrence.

The ascent of the RSAF took a quantum leap when the US Government agreed to the Peace Carvin (PC) programme at Luke Air Force Base in 1988. Under this agreement, the RSAF acquired the initial batch of eight F-16A/Bs which replaced our ageing Hawker Hunter fleet. Pilots serving in the RSAF shared with me how morale was boosted immensely with this crucial development. In 1993, the RSAF started the PC II detachment and further upgraded with the advanced F-16C/Ds, working closely with the USAF. We had about 130 RSAF personnel under a joint RSAF-USAF command within the 425th Fighter Squadron of the 56th Fighter Wing here at Luke Air Force Base.

The opportunity to train in the US and with some of the best pilots in the world reaped great dividends for Singapore's Air Force. In its second year of operations, the RSAF detachment in the US, PC II, took part in the 56th Fighter Wing Turkey Shoot in 1994 and emerged as the Top Operations Squadron, Top Maintenance Squadron and the Top Squadron. Our pilots, engineers and technicians knew that these training facilities and opportunities in the US were precious and integral to our defence capabilities for Singapore. They were committed and focused and were able to benchmark themselves against the USAF, among the best in the world. As a result, the RSAF acquired the operational, technical and logistics capabilities to bring the RSAF's F-16C/Ds to Full Operational Capability in less than five years.

This continuing engagement with the USAF has allowed the RSAF's combat capabilities to grow from strength to strength, by developing new concepts and advanced tactics. This included new weaponry that could strike beyond visual range and with greater accuracy.

Today, the F-16s remain the backbone of the RSAF's fighter fleet and give Singapore decisive air capabilities. With our plans to upgrade the avionics and extend their lifespan, the F-16s will continue to play an important role in Singapore's multi-layered air defence system.

Valuable Training Opportunities in the US

Arizona offers the RSAF vast training airspace and excellent range facilities - and we have made full use of it. Over the past 20 years, the RSAF here has clocked over 50,000 flying hours and has participated in Large Force Employment exercises such as Red Flag, Maple Flag, Green Flag and Night Flag, as well as in many live-firing exercises. These allow our aircrew to train in realistic and challenging environments to sharpen their aerial combat skills and flying competencies.

Just yesterday, I was at Barry M Goldwater Range (BMGR) to observe Exercise Forging Sabre, one of our largest exercises by the Singapore Army and the RSAF that tests our networked fighting capabilities. We played out the most complex mission scenario this year with the widest range of platforms and precision munitions employed to date. Six F-16s from PC II, six F-15s from PC V, along with our Apache attack helicopters and Chinooks, participated in this exercise, executing complex battlefield manoeuvres alongside our land forces. Indeed, it was only possible to conduct an integrated live-firing exercise of such scale and sophistication because of 1.6 million hectare exercise grounds at this range, some 19 times the size of Singapore!

Strategic Partnership between the two Air Forces

PC II laid the foundations for the RSAF to set up other detachments across the US, which have enabled the RSAF to operationalise important new capabilities. These include the past Peace Guardian KC-135 tankers, PC III F-16C/D detachments, as well as the on-going Peace Vanguard AH-64 Apache detachment, Peace Prairie CH-47 Chinook detachment, and Peace Carvin V F-15SG detachments.

These detachments have not only provided top-end training opportunities for RSAF personnel, but have enhanced the RSAF's interoperability and military-to-military ties with US and NATO forces. This interoperability served us well during international operations. As part of the international stabilisation and reconstruction efforts in Iraq, our KC-135 tankers mounted air-to-air refuelling with more than 1400 coalition aircraft in the Gulf between 2004 and 2008. And in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, our Chinooks worked closely with the US National Guard to support relief efforts.

Appreciation to the US and our People at PC II

20 years of partnership and excellence would not have been possible without the support and commitment of many of you here today. I wish to extend my deepest appreciation to the US Government and the USAF for allowing the RSAF to train here in the US. We deeply value this special defence relationship between our two countries, which is based on shared interests and underpinned by broad-based and mutually beneficial cooperation.

The RSAF is also grateful to the leadership of the Air Education and Training Command and Luke Air Force Base who have contributed to the smooth operations of PC II over the past two decades. The partnership with the USAF squadron commanders, instructors and logisticians has also made a real difference to the success of PC II.

Let me also thank the mayors and the local communities here for your gracious hospitality in welcoming our RSAF personnel and their families into your midst. Your warm friendship has given our people a home away from home.

To the families of our servicemen and women, thank you for your sacrifices and your support that has allowed our people to focus on their mission at this detachment. To our servicemen and women here at PC II, I would like to commend you for your hard work, dedication and commitment. Indeed, it has been "20 years of excellence" and you all can be very proud of what you have been able to accomplish here. Once again, congratulations on your 20th anniversary!