Singapore and Malaysian Air Forces Successfully Concluded Annual Bilateral Search and Rescue Exercise

Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF)’s Exercise Director, Lt.Col. Abdul Hadi bin Jamal Abd Nasir, CO No.10 Squadron and Colonel Shamsul Shahreen bin Isa, RMAF Director of A7 Air Operations Command Headquarters, alongside RSAF’s Exercise Director, LTC Yeo Bing Lin, CO 125 SQN during the Opening Ceremony for SAREX MALSING 2026. (Credit: RMAF)

Personnel and assets from both air forces at SAREX MALSING 2026. (Credit: RMAF)

The RSAF H225M and the RMAF EC725 helicopters conducting joint aerial SAR operations. (Credit: RMAF)

RSAF and RMAF personnel having professional exchanges. (Credit: RMAF)

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) successfully wrapped up the eighth edition of the annual bilateral Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX) MALSING, held from 17 to 23 Jul 2026 at Kuantan Air Base, Malaysia. This year’s exercise involved the RSAF’s H225M and RMAF’s EC725 helicopters, together with aircrew, ground crew and medical teams from both air forces.

The exercise saw participants working together in response to a simulated aerial mishap scenario off Pulau Tioman, Malaysia. Participants from both nations engaged in joint planning and professional exchanges to coordinate aerial searches and expeditious evacuations. This year also marked the introduction of a new component, where RSAF and RMAF search and rescue (SAR) medical teams drilled the end-to-end care for simulated casualties, from in-flight treatment to the transfer of patients.

RSAF’s Head Air Operations, Brigadier-General (BG) Phua Jia Kai and RMAF’s Air Operations Commander, Lieutenant General Dato’ Masro bin Kaliwon co-officiated the closing ceremony on 23 Jul 2026 at Kuantan Air Base, Malaysia. Speaking at the ceremony, BG Phua Jia Kai highlighted the importance of the exercise, “SAREX MALSING continues to be a testament of the close and enduring relationship between Singapore and Malaysia. Our two countries share not only close geographical proximity, but also deep historical ties and longstanding defence relations.”

Sharing similar sentiments, Lieutenant General Dato’ Masro bin Kaliwon said, “Exercise SAREX MALSING has achieved its intended objectives through close coordination and effective cooperation between the RMAF and RSAF. The exercise’s goals to enhance search and rescue cooperation, strengthen interoperability through the exchange of knowledge and experience, and foster closer ties between the two air forces have all been successfully achieved.”

Since its inception in 2018, SAREX MALSING has served as a platform to further enhance the professionalism and relations between both Air Forces, as well as foster closer rapport and mutual cooperation amongst the personnel. The RSAF and RMAF also interact and cooperate 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. Together, these underscore the warm and long-standing defence ties between Singapore and Malaysia.