Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen visited Exercise Forging Sabre 2015 (XFS 15) in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, earlier today (Singapore time). During his visit, Dr Ng flew on an F-15SG fighter jet to experience an integrated strike mission destroying multiple enemy mobile targets, supported by the Heron-1 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. He also met and interacted with Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel participating in the exercise, as well as family members of Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) personnel from Peace Carvin II F-16C/D training detachment at Luke Air Force Base.

Speaking after his flight, Dr Ng emphasised the importance of overseas training in providing realistic and challenging training opportunities for the SAF to hone its operational readiness, and commended the professionalism of the SAF servicemen. He said, "We've come very far and a long way and things are working like clockwork, and it's not always that it happens. So I would say that there're great strides that we've made over these past ten years. It's because we do it constantly - just with regularity and access to the training makes a difference. I'm very proud of the SAF for their professionalism and their hard work."

As part of his visit, Dr Ng had earlier witnessed integrated live-firing by multiple sensor and shooter platforms, orchestrated by the exercise command post on 11 Dec 2015 (Singapore time).

Overseas training and detachments, such as the RSAF's detachments in the US, allow the SAF to overcome Singapore's land and airspace constraints, and build up its operational capabilities and readiness. Apart from supporting the conduct of training exercises such as XFS 15, the US also supports the RSAF's F-15SG and F-16C/D fighter aircraft, and AH-64D Apache and CH-47 Chinook helicopter training detachments.