The Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF) open house has gone fully online this year for the first time. People can now watch search-and-rescue missions and examine aircraft up close in the comfort of their homes.
The online open house site, launched yesterday, hosts a 3D virtual exhibition of more than 25 aircraft and ground-based air defence systems, online games and a series of videos that show RSAF pilots in action.
This is very different from open houses of years past where people could see and be awed by RSAF assets in person.
The organisers said the constraints of Covid-19 meant they started planning for the likelihood of an online open house about a year ago. They are hoping it will give people a fresh perspective.
"You can spin the assets around, zoom in and zoom out, look at them from different angles - we try to make it a bit more interactive," said Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Chua, head of the virtual open house.
"In the past, it would also have been difficult to get so many aircraft together for a physical exhibition, but we can do this online. People can click on each of them to see the specifications," he added.
The open house is on till Dec 19, and the site's content is refreshed regularly in the hope that people will log in repeatedly. Videos go live at different times and remain on the site after being launched.
There are also step-by-step activities and challenges - such as requiring people to take a photo with their families and friends, or to transform used materials into a custom-built aircraft - for participants to win prizes such as a reusable tote bag and the RSAF open house soft-toy bear, Captain Ted.
Guest hosts for the virtual open house include actor Gurmit Singh and singers Annette Lee and Rai Kannu.
One highlight is the Singapore Youth Flying Club performing a simulated aerial aerobatics routine on video.
The RSAF will also demonstrate how it responds to aerial threats and performs search-and-rescue missions.
Colonel Amos Yeo, commander of the RSAF's Air Power Generation Command and chairman of the open house organising committee, said the air force is aiming to reach 80,000 to 100,000 people with the virtual open house.
"The RSAF open house is a means for us to engage the public and to thank the public for their strong support over the years," he said. "Given the Covid-19 situation, we looked at the various options and determined that a virtual event would be a novel, meaningful and effective means of achieving these objectives."
He added: "This is an opportunity for us to reach out to a new demographic, to people who would not have previously come to the airbase."
At the virtual launch of the open house yesterday, Senior Minister of State for Defence Zaqy Mohamad said that amid the pandemic, the RSAF has adapted to training using technologies and simulator systems.
He said visitors to the virtual exhibition should look out for the RSAF's latest additions to its arsenal, such as the Aster 30 missile system, the new Chinook CH-47F heavy-lift helicopter and the H225M medium-lift helicopter.
He also noted the RSAF's efforts in August to help with the evacuation of Afghans. Using the Airbus Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft, the RSAF flew more than 2,000 people out of the crisis zone in Afghanistan.
"This mission is an example of how RSAF's spectrum of operations has evolved over the years, and how it can reach further, operate faster and more effectively to achieve outcomes," he said.
Visit the open house website at www.go.gov.sg/ROH21
