RSAF Open House returns after five-year absence
Updated 19 May 2016 09:08



SINGAPORE: The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Open House will return for the first time since 2011, from Saturday to Sunday (May 21 to 22) at Paya Lebar Air Base.

Aircraft arming demonstrations, aerial displays by RSAF F-15SG and F-16C fighter aircraft, static exhibitions, performances by the army’s Red Lions Parachute Team, aircraft rides and more will all feature at an event space spread out over roughly nine football fields.

The RSAF also allowed members of the public to ballot or contest for aircraft ride tickets up till last Friday (May 13), for a chance to fly on board either the C-130 Hercules transport, CH-47SD Chinook helicopter, Fokker-50 airliner or the Singapore Youth Flying Club’s DA40 light aircraft.

Admission to the RSAF Open House is free.



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Singapore Hosts Aircraft Show Amid Surge in Domestic Military Spending

May 19,2016



SINGAPORE - The Republic of Singapore Armed Forces (RSAF) is set to host a 'Defending Our Skies' airshow in less than four days, featuring aerial displays by fighter aircraft and ground-based demonstrations of military clout, the national Ministry of Defense (MINDEF) said in a statement.

"The RSAF Open House will feature thrilling aerial displays by the RSAF's F-15SG and F-16C multi-role fighter aircraft... as well as air-land operations involving the AH-64D Apache attack and CH-47 Chinook helicopters," said MINDEF in a news release entitled "Living the thrill and excitement at RSAF Open House 2016".

The show comes as the RSAF has nearly finalized a 1-billion-SGD deal ($730 million) to purchase new military helicopters, according to a Singapore Armed Forces spokesperson.

This year, the Singaporean defense budget shot up by 6.44 percent to 13.97 billion SGD ($10.2 billion) according to British military news portal IHS Jane.

"A nation's airspace is and will always be vital to its sovereignty and security...Conflicts among nations might appear to be less frequent but they have by no means disappeared," said Senior Minister of State for Defense, Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman, in a speech earlier this month, in which he mentioned the ongoing dispute over the South China Sea islands as a key example of how miscalculations can lead to open confrontation.

"Every generation will confront new threats, and you will have to find new ways to keep Singapore safe and strong," Osman added.

The airshow will be held on Saturday and Sunday (May 21-22), taking up the equivalent of nine football fields in the skies above the Paya Lebar Air Base (PLAB) in central eastern Singapore.

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