Minister for Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen officiated a ceremony to mark the attainment of Full Operational Capability (FOC) status by the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)'s H225M and CH-47F helicopters at Sembawang Air Base this afternoon. Dr Ng received a brief on the enhanced capabilities of the new helicopters, flew on the H225M, unveiled commemorative plaques for the attainment of FOC, and thanked the personnel from the RSAF and Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) for their dedication and commitment towards saving lives and safeguarding Singapore's skies.

The H225M medium-lift helicopters and CH-47F heavy-lift helicopters will replace the RSAF's fleet of AS332M and CH-47D respectively. The new helicopters will enable the RSAF to be more effective, flexible and capable in meeting operational demands, including troop lift, underslung, search and rescue, aeromedical evacuation, counter terrorism and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations. Achieving this FOC status is also testament to the hard work by the airmen and women from 125, 126 and 127 Squadrons, the RSAF's Oakey Detachment in Australia, as well as the strong cross-Service integration with the Singapore Army and Republic of Singapore Navy.

Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Ng said, "Today, the H225M and the CH-47Fs will provide the SAF with an enhanced, robust, and flexible lift capability. They will strengthen the RSAF's ability to undertake a wide range of operations, including Search and Rescue operations, aeromedical evacuations, and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief. More importantly, these two new helicopter platforms will enhance cross-service integration, allowing the RSAF to better support our Army and Navy troops in equipment lifts."

Sharing on the strong Operations-Logistics and Operations-Technology integration, and the quality and commitment of RSAF and Defence Technology Community personnel, Dr Ng also said, "I want to commend the Ops-Logs and Ops-Tech partnership between Helicopter Group, 6 Air Engineering and Logistics Group, and the Defence Technology Community in operationalising not one, but two platforms, both technologically-advanced within a few short years. Well done to the airmen and women who have worked and trained hard to operationalise the H225M and CH-47F."

Dr Ng was accompanied by Permanent Secretary (Defence) Mr Chan Heng Kee, Chief of Defence Force Vice Admiral Aaron Beng, Chief of Air Force Brigadier-General Kelvin Fan, Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Sean Wat, and other senior officers from across the SAF.