RSAF to get new chief in March

Outgoing Air Force chief, Maj-Gen Hoo Cher Mou (left), has served in the SAF since 1984; BG Mervyn Tan Wei Ming will take over on March 28. PHOTOS: MINDEF

Singapore will get a new Chief of Air Force, when Major-General Hoo Cher Mou, 50, relinquishes his appointment in March.

Maj-Gen Hoo, who is trained in air surveillance and air traffic control, was the first non-pilot to be air force chief in the Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF's) history. He has held the post since 2013.

Brigadier-General Mervyn Tan Wei Ming, 44, will take over as the new air force chief on March 28, the Defence Ministry said yesterday.

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, in a Facebook post yesterday, thanked Maj-Gen Hoo, who joined the Singapore Armed Forces in 1984, for his contributions.

Under Maj-Gen Hoo's leadership, the RSAF participated in various peace-time support operations and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions. These included the search and locate operations for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in 2014, as well as the aerial firefighting efforts in Indonesia last October.

He also supervised the RSAF's participation in the nation's Golden Jubilee celebrations last year, including performances by the aerial aerobatics team, the Black Knights.

Maj-Gen Hoo, who has a Master of Public Administration degree from Harvard University and a Master of Arts (Biochemistry) from Cambridge University, also introduced various initiatives, including the reorganisation of the RSAF's Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Command for better surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.

The incoming air force chief, BG Tan, joined the SAF in 1990. In his military career, he has commanded the Air Defence and Operations Command and headed the Air Plans Department in the RSAF.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 30, 2016, with the headline RSAF to get new chief in March. Subscribe