Airshow to feature first aerial display by 2 Apache helicopters, F-15SG jet

For the first time, visitors to the Singapore Airshow will get to view a joint aerial display by an F-15SG fighter jet and a pair of Apache attack helicopters from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF).

A total of 15 manoeuvres, including five new ones that involve all three aircraft, will make up a 14-minute display. The airshow will be held at the Changi Exhibition Centre from next Tuesday, and is open to the public on the last two days - Feb 15 and Feb 16.

Senior Lieutenant-Colonel (SLTC) Mark Tan, chairman of the Flying Display Committee, said: "We wanted something unique and new for the public, and also to showcase the capabilities of the F-15SG and the manoeuvrability and agility of the Apache helicopters."

The airshow, organised by Experia Events, is an aerospace and defence exhibition held once every two years. The RSAF has participated in the airshow since it began in 2008.

The last time the RSAF put up an aerial display with the two different types of aircraft was at the 2016 airshow, but the integrated manoeuvres included only one F-15SG and one Apache, or AH-64D.

SLTC Tan, 41, during a media preview yesterday, said the main challenge in putting up such a display was having to integrate the moves of one aircraft that flies very quickly and another that flies a lot more slowly.

He said: "So, the challenge was to design profiles that would look good when spectators see them. The initial design of the profiles, while they looked good on paper, they didn't look as nice when we executed them.

"So, we really had to spend a lot of time, the guys had to understand the capabilities of each other's platform."

SLTC Tan added that flying training, including the use of simulators, started last October.

Captain Ingkiriwang Reeve, 32, an Apache helicopter pilot in the aerial display team, said strong winds pose another challenge. "We fly typically at 100 to 120 knots, so the winds here could be about one-fifth or a quarter of our operating speed. That's how much we have to take into consideration and compensate."

Among the new manoeuvres is the hover cross, where the two helicopters hover from left and right while the F-15SG circles them. Another, called the finale salute, is dedicated to Singaporeans for their continued support of the RSAF.

Other than the aerial display, the RSAF will also be putting up a static display with 10 aircraft and weapon systems, including the debut of the A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport and Aster 30 Missile System.

Other assets include the F-15SG and F-16 multi-role fighter aircraft, the S-70B Seahawk helicopter, and the Heron 1 and Hermes 450 unmanned aerial vehicles. There will also be an RSAF booth where visitors can learn more about its operations, capabilities and training.

The chairman of the RSAF sub-committee for the airshow, Senior Lieutenant-Colonel Damian Chee, 44, said the event is important in helping people gain a better understanding of the RSAF. "It also provides an excellent opportunity for our airmen and women to engage our fellow Singaporeans, to allow them to gain a deeper understanding of what the RSAF does every day for the defence of Singapore," he added.