Speech by Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen, at the M-346 Inauguration Ceremony, at Cazaux Air Base, France

Greetings

Good afternoon, Chief of Staff of the French Air Force GEN Mercier - thank you for hosting a detachment here - many distinguished guests from France and Singapore, ladies and gentleman. Particularly happy as my wife and I came in to see many babies as well. Someone told me that you have produced more babies than pilots, one a month for as long as we have been here, so well done.

Completion of the RSAF Flying Training Transformation Journey

My wife and I are delighted to be here today to join all of you here at 150 Squadron to officially inaugurate the new Advanced Jet Trainer or the AJT. Of course, this is the Alenia Aermacchi M-346.

For those of you who know our history, the previous Advanced Jet Trainer, the A-4SU Super Skyhawk which we have used since 1995. If you compare the two, you are really comparing very different versions, whether it is the cockpit, whether how you train, the quantum it is set for. And in actual fact, even the Super Skyhawks that we used were upgraded and refurbished versions of the A-4 Skyhawks, which we had acquired all the way back in 1974. As our pilots trained on the Super Skyhawks, the RSAF itself was undergoing significant modernisation, and in fact the global industry of fighter planes was undergoing revolutionary technological change. Within the last decade alone, for the RSAF and other air forces, new platforms emerged including fifth generation fighters. You would be familiar with the US' F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II.So in this context, it was a matter of time and need that better and more advanced jet trainers would be required. Because as the real fighter planes became more modernised, if you train on old systems, the transition from jet trainers to the actual fighter airplane is going to be too large. And so I think in this situation, the introduction of the M-346 is indeed timely.

Because with the M-346, its aerodynamic performance, excellent handling qualities and modern avionics systems allow our pilots to be better trained, and in particular, the M-346 stands out from its predecessors because it allows for sophisticated simulations, It allows our trainee pilots to be able to be exposed to air combat environments within the cockpit - they can be simulated, as in handling electronic warfare systems, multi-mode radar and Beyond Visual Range missiles, early in their training. And I think this will enhance the quality and realism of our flying training, and allow us to produce fighter aircrew well-equipped to operate current and future fighter platforms.

Another innovative aspect of our M-346 training programme is the fact that we incorporated a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) programme together with ST Technologies. ST Aerospace will maintain and operate the M-346, as well as provide both simulator instructors and an integrated training system made by Boeing. This is a very cost-effective proposal and allows the RSAF to focus on its operations, while leveraging on ST's and Boeing's global networks and expertise in aviation management and training.

Together with the M-346 programme, the overhaul of RSAF Fighter Wings Programme is now complete. We worked on our Rotary Wing Course, we worked on our Basic Wing Course and this has the final piece, as the CO says. So we should press on and implement these programmes well to bring the RSAF to a higher standard of professionalism and excellence.

Appreciation for our Host Country

This transformation of our flying training system for the RSAF would not have been possible without the outstanding support of the French Air Force and Cazaux Air Base, which we deeply appreciate. We are here by your grace until 2035.

And this is a valuable lesson because Singapore and France enjoy strong and broad-based defence relations. I had the honour and pleasure of meeting my counterpart, Minister Le Drian, in Paris yesterday and we had very good talks and we interact across multiple levels. The French Air Force and the RSAF, in particular, share excellent and long-standing ties. We also welcome Captain Laurent Porchon who is the first flying instructor with the French Air Force to be attached to 150 Squadron. We will introduce you to our Singapore food soon. I am confident that these developments will continue to enhance the professional exchanges and personal friendships between both our two air forces.

Let me also take this opportunity to thank the local communities in this beautiful area, Cazaux, for your support all these years. Especially for your warm hospitality, which has made it that much easier for our personnel and their families to make Cazaux a home away from home. I am also impressed by your thoughtful gesture in attaching Miss Lisbeth from Ecole Bremontier to Nanyang Primary School in Singapore for one year to experience the Singapore education system, so that she could better help our children studying in your schools. I think that was really going beyond the call of duty and friendship. These kind gestures will continue to deepen the ties between our two communities. So on behalf of Singapore and 150 Squadron personnel and families, thank you very much.

Recognising our People

Before I conclude, I would like to commend 150 Squadron. I know that you have worked very hard to operationalise the M-346. And in fact, if you think about it, it was only just seven months ago that the RSAF became the first Air Force in the world to operationalise the M-346 for its ab-initio aircrew training. One month later, LTA Pan Shang Hua, became the first pilot trainee in the world to fly solo on the M-346. By June this year, we would have achieved our first 1000 accident-free hours on the M-346. And in the same month, 150 Squadron also participated in the Cazaux Air Show with a combined aerial fly-past of three M-346s with the French Alpha jets.

Today, we stand ready to inaugurate the M-346 into 150 Squadron. It takes a special breed of airmen and women with professionalism, commitment and passion to accomplish so much in such a short time. Looking ahead, the M-346 will herald a new era for 150 Squadron. Much remains to be done to bring this programme to its full potential. However, I am confident that this same pioneering spirit, passion and professionalism of 150 Squadron will us overcome the obstacles and push the training envelope, and produce the next generation of world class fighter aircrew for a first-class RSAF.

Thank you.