Singapore Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) announced on Sunday that the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has bagged two awards during its participation in the United States Air Force (USAF)-hosted Exercise Red Flag-Nellis. The air combat exercise was held at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, from Aug 14 to 25.
According to reports, the RSAF was awarded Overall Outstanding Mission Commander and Outstanding Aircraft Maintenance Unit. MINDEF said that the Outstanding Air Maintenance Unit award was presented to the RSAF ground crew in recognition of their "consistent efforts to ensure that the F-15SGs were maintained in tip-top condition throughout the entire duration of the exercise".
MINDEF added that RSAF deployed eight F-15SG fighter aircraft and over 100 personnel from its Peace Carvin V detachment in Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, to participate in the air combat exercise.
This year, about 70 aircraft from Saudi Arabia, Singapore and the US were seen participating in the event with observers from Chile, Oman and Romania.
"Exercise Red Flag - Nellis is designed to enhance the combat readiness and operational capabilities of the participating air forces due to the realistic training provided by a dedicated opponent force. During the exercise, the participants engaged in air combat and strike missions in a challenging environment which allowed them to hone and sharpen their operational competencies," MINDEF said in a statement.
Lieutenant Colonel Oon Kok Choon, the RSAF Peace Carvin V Detachment Commander highlighted the importance of the RSAF's participation in this year's exercise and told Channel NewsAsia: "We are glad to be given the opportunity to fly our F-15SGs alongside our USAF counterparts, whose participation included the F-22 fighter aircraft."
"Working together with these other advanced fighters, we were able to accomplish our missions more effectively, and at the same time benchmark our performance with other advanced air forces. The exercise provided a realistic training environment for both our air and ground crew, and I am proud that our RSAF team has upheld the high standards and continued to perform well," he added.
