Written Reply by Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen to Parliamentary Question on Singapore's Contributions to Search and Rescue Mission for AirAsia Flight QZ8501

Mr Ang Wei Neng: To ask the Minister for Defence whether he can provide an update on the assistance which Singapore has provided in the search and recovery mission of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 as well as the lessons learned from this incident.

Dr Ng Eng Hen:  First, allow me to extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to the families and loved ones of the passengers and crew of flight QZ8501, many of whom had close ties with Singapore and Singaporeans.

I will provide details of SAF's involvement in this search effort, as the member has asked, and of other agencies for completeness. On 28 Dec 2014, immediately after AirAsia Flight QZ8501 was reported missing, the Singapore Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC), which is the central agency that coordinates search and rescue operations in Singapore, contacted BASARNAS, the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency, to offer Singapore’s assistance and support. Two of our C-130s were placed on standby. I spoke to my counterpart, DM Ryamizard, over the phone just before noon and offered Singapore's assistance. Upon acceptance by BASARNAS, our first C-130 was activated by the Singapore RCC at 1500H to assist in the search. Over the next two days, three RSN ships and two helicopters joined the search - a Frigate [RSS Supreme] and a Missile Corvette [RSS Valour] and a Landing Ship Tank [RSS Persistence] with two RSAF Super Pumas. Officers from the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore were also attached to BASARNAS to assist in the overall coordination of search operations.

Three days later, as the search area narrowed, Singapore offered additional capabilities to locate the missing aircraft's black boxes and fuselage - two ships with specialised underwater search capabilities, namely, a Mine Countermeasure vessel [RSS Kallang], a submarine support and rescue vessel [MV Swift Rescue]. In addition, the SAF deployed an autonomous underwater vehicle or AUV team. Specialists from the Ministry of Transport's Air Accident Investigation Bureau and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore were also deployed with underwater locator beacon detectors to assist in locating the flight data recorders, while a Disaster Victim Identification team and forensic experts from the Singapore Police Force and the Health Sciences Authority assisted in the identification of victims.

By 18 Jan 2015, all the personnel and assets we deployed had returned to Singapore, as the Indonesian authorities informed the foreign countries involved that Indonesia had sufficient own resources for subsequent search efforts. 

We are grateful to and proud of all the Singaporeans who contributed to the search operations. Their efforts and commitment were deeply appreciated by the families of the missing passengers and crew, as well as by the Indonesian authorities.

There are many lessons we can draw from this tragedy and the search efforts, so I will just highlight a few key ones. First, I hope Members appreciate why the SAF needs to maintain a high level of operational readiness. Even though it was the last weekend of the holiday season, our servicemen responded quickly and gave their full effort. An RSAF C-130 aircraft was airborne within two hours of activation, and our aircraft and ships were the first foreign forces to arrive on scene. Behind the scenes, there were also planners, logistics support and maintenance personnel who worked tirelessly to support the deployment of the five ships, four aircraft, AUV team and more than 400 servicemen and women, over their 22-day mission. 

Second, the importance of realistic, tough and rigorous training. The SAF goes to considerable lengths to ensure that our servicemen, including NSFs, undergo demanding and rigorous training. We train them hard so that when they are activated for actual operations such as the search for QZ8501, they can carry out their mission with the highest standards of professionalism. In fact, during the operations, other than the regulars, there was a total of 56 NSFs that were involved. The combined team had to contend with rough seas and poor visibility due to bad weather, which hindered the launching of aircraft and search efforts. On some days, the waves were more than 2 metres in height - and our sailors on board the Navy's vessels were out in the open sea for the entire duration of their deployment. On 14 Jan 2015, our determination and training paid off when MV Swift Rescue spotted and identified the fuselage of the missing aircraft.  

Third, the importance of having a network of strong bilateral relationships in our region, particularly with our neighbours. Serious disasters and accidents can affect any country, including Singapore, without warning. And when it does, neighbours should assist one another. Singapore offered its help to Indonesia and at the same time also to Malaysia for their flood alleviation efforts. For the missing AirAsia flight, the years of close cooperation between Singapore and Indonesia, particularly at the military level, paid off, enabled the SAF to do its part in the operations.

Overall, the SAF performed professionally and credibly. I am proud of them as they represented Singapore well. I would like to thank MPs and Singaporeans for their encouraging words and good wishes during the search effort. Their strong support sustained our SAF soldiers and motivated them to perform the tasks to the best of their abilities.