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The 25th Exercise Cope Tiger
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Decked out in full flight gear, our pilots stepped to the flight line at Korat Air Base as our Air Force Engineers (AFE) diligently conduct pre-flight checks, ensuring that the missions our aircrew set out to achieve could be accomplished smoothly and safely. Amidst the relentless heat of the red giant, our airmen and women remained resolute in achieving mission success, and it was nothing but for the momentous occasion - Exercise Cope Tiger 2019 (XCT 19).
This is the 25th edition of Exercise Cope Tiger.
XCT is an annual trilateral air combat large force employment exercise involving the RSAF, Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) and United States Air Force (USAF). The flying training phase of XCT 19 involved a total of 69 aircraft, 29 Ground-Based Air Defence (GBAD) systems and about 2,000 personnel from the three participating nations.
RSAF Exercise Director, COL Teo Soo Yeow shared, "As this year marks the 25th Anniversary of XCT 19, it signifies the continued trilateral commitment and dedication of the three Air Forces. It is a testament to the close and longstanding defence relationships we have with our RTAF and USAF counterparts."
A mission planning session together with personnel from the RTAF and USAF.
Flying alongside our RTAF and USAF counterparts also gave our aircrew the opportunity to hone their skills and strength in realistic air-to-air combat environments. MAJ Nah Jinping, an F-15SG fighter pilot from 149 SQN, shared "My SQN mates and I worked together with very competent pilots from the RTAF and USAF to obtain a better understanding of their aircraft capabilities. This helped us maximise the overall capability and put up a lethal fighting force."
XCT 19 was MAJ Nah's second year as a mission commander for one of the exercises during the Field Training Exercise phase.
An AFE preparing the aircraft for flight.
On the ground, the GBAD personnel trained in Chandy Range. While the unfamiliar territory posed challenges, our GBAD personnel took to them boldly. 2SG Haziq Akmal Bin Jasman, was participating in XCT for the first time as a Tactical Control Assistant for the Portable Search and Target Acquisition Radar (PSTAR). He shared, "My crew had to quickly learn how opposing aircraft can mask their approaches to my defended area, and we achieved mission success despite the unfamiliar local terrain."
2SG Haziq working on the PSTAR radar to provide early warning and tactical control to eliminate air threats in the sky.
A personnel from 119 SQN preparing the Heron 1 for flight.
Providing free healthcare services to the local community of Korat and Chandy Range.
Our Heron 1, the eyes in the skies, conducted their training in Koke Kathiem. ME2 D.Karthikeyan Pillai, a UAV AFE, said, "In XCT 19, we demonstrated professionalism in our day to day activities while achieving mission success, ensuring also that safety is not compromised."
Besides the daily operations, personnel from the three air forces also participated in socio-civic programmes to forge positive ties with the local community of Korat Air Base and Chandy Range. They provided free medical and dental services, helped construct educational amenities such as a school canteen, as well as participated in a cultural exchange programme.
