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SINGAPORE: The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) said on Thursday (October 8) that it has deployed aircraft and personnel to Australia for a two-month detachment from October 7 to December 11.
Around 200 RSAF personnel, along with the RSAF F-15SGs, the A330-Multi-Role Tanker Transport and the G550 airborne early warning aircraft, will be stationed at Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin during the course of the detachment.
High-level, realistic training will take place during the training period while observing COVID-19 safety precautions, RSAF said in a Facebook post.
“During the detachment, the RSAF will implement strict security precautions, such as pre-deployment and post-deployment isolation and swab testing, and will ensure that our personnel also comply with Australia’s health and safety measures to minimize the risk of transmission of COVID-19 “. He said.
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Despite the COVID-19 outbreak, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) have yet to maintain their operational readiness, Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen said in a Facebook post on Thursday, adding that it is for this reason that deployment has continued.
The RSAF deployment also marks Singapore’s strong defense ties with Australia, said Dr. Ng.
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He also noted that this year marks the 30th anniversary of SAF’s training presence in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area.
“We are grateful for the support of the Australian government and good people in Darwin and in other areas to host our military training,” said Dr Ng.
Due to airspace limitations in Singapore, the RSAF has to undertake training abroad to meet its training requirements.
In addition to Australia, the RSAF also has overseas training detachments in places like the United States and France.