Change in Chief of Air Force

Major-General (MG) Hoo Cher Mou, the outgoing Chief of Air Force, has served the SAF with distinction for 32 years since 1984.

Brigadier-General (BG) Mervyn Tan Wei Ming, Director Military Intelligence (DMI) and Chief Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) will take over from Major-General (MG) Hoo Cher Mou as Chief of Air Force on 28 March 2016. This change is part of the continuing process of leadership renewal in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

MG Hoo Cher Mou, 50, has held the post of Chief of Air Force since 25 Mar 2013. Over the course of his career, he held several senior command and staff appointments, including Head Air Plans Department; Commander Air Force Systems Brigade; Head Air Training Department; Commander Air Defence and Operations Command; Chief of Staff-Air Staff; and Chief of Staff-Joint Staff.

Since joining the SAF in 1984, MG Hoo has served the SAF with distinction. As Chief of Air Force, he ensured that the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) maintained a high level of operational readiness. Under his leadership, the RSAF has participated in several peacetime support operations and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) missions. These included the search and locate operations for the missing Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 in March 2014, the search and recovery operations for AirAsia Flight QZ8501 in December 2014, as well as the aerial firefighting efforts in Sumatra, Indonesia last October. MG Hoo also supervised the RSAF's participation in Singapore's Golden Jubilee celebrations last year, including performances by the aerial aerobatics team, the Black Knights, and the unprecedented \"50\"-formation flypast by 20 F-16 fighter aircraft during the National Day Parade.

During his tenure, MG Hoo led the RSAF to an advanced stage of its 3rd Generation Transformation. He introduced a slew of initiatives to position the RSAF for its future needs, specifically in the areas of training, engineering and people development. This included the reorganisation of the RSAF's Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Command to better deliver air intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. MG Hoo also helmed the operationalisation efforts of key capabilities, such as the F-15SG fighter aircraft, advanced datalink network, as well as the Hermes 450 and Heron-1 UAVs. MG Hoo also forged greater cooperation between the RSAF and other air forces.

The incoming Chief of Air Force, BG Tan, 44, joined the SAF in 1990 and was awarded the SAF Overseas Training Award (Graduating) in 1992. In his military career, BG Tan held amongst others, the appointments of Commander Air Defence and Operations Command (ADOC); and Head Air Plans Department. As DMI and Chief C4I, BG Tan played a key role in raising, training and sustaining the military intelligence community to ensure the SAF remains at the forefront of military intelligence amidst an evolving security environment. As Commander ADOC, BG Tan was responsible for the high operational readiness, morale and safety standards of the groups and squadrons charged with safeguarding the security of Singapore's territorial airspace round-the-clock. During his time as Head Air Plans Department, he led the review and development of the RSAF's force structure and manpower establishments which helped shape the RSAF today.

The Ministry of Defence wishes to express its deep appreciation to MG Hoo for his distinguished service and sterling contribution to MINDEF and the SAF.

Brigadier-General (BG) Mervyn Tan Wei Ming, currently Director Military Intelligence (DMI) and Chief Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I), will take over as Chief of Air Force on 28 March 2016.