Harsh terrain, conflict risks: SAF personnel brave unfamiliar territory to airdrop aid in Gaza

SINGAPORE – As his fiancee handled their wedding planning in Singapore, First Sergeant (1SG) Muhammad Faisal Sharudin was in Jordan, helping to load nearly 15 tonnes of humanitarian supplies onto a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) aircraft bound for Gaza.

The 27-year-old aerial cargo rigger was among 58 SAF personnel and Singapore defence partners who worked alongside foreign militaries to airdrop the aid from Aug 12 to 25 for victims of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

He admitted he was nervous before the deployment, but said the training – and a sense of purpose – carried him through.

“I felt nervous, had a bit of anxiety, but with the training I went through, I felt ready to go,” he told The Straits Times. “I was excited to go because it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be able to help people in need.”

1SG Faisal kept his promise to his worried fiancee, returning home safely ahead of their wedding, which will be held at the end of September.

Operating out of a Jordanian base where temperatures hit 45 deg C, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) C-130 crew braved tough conditions and the risks of flying near a conflict zone.

Lieutenant-Colonel C. Teeneshwaran, who was the air mission commander, said the biggest challenge was navigating the “dynamic” environment.

“A lot of things were new to us,” said the 37-year-old pilot. “The climate was different, the operating environment was different... We were not operating alone, but with other air forces.”

But through SAF’s partnership with foreign militaries, the Singapore contingent conducted comprehensive joint planning before each airdrop mission during the two-week operation so that flight paths were not congested and communications were maintained.

Israel and Hamas

have been at war since October 2023

. Despite a six-week ceasefire agreed upon in January, the violence and death toll have escalated. As a result, getting humanitarian aid to the affected Palestinians has become more difficult.

Even so, the RSAF crew delivered close to 15 tonnes of medical and food supplies to Gaza as part of

its latest

airdrop operation

.

It was the SAF’s second airdrop, marking Singapore’s ninth tranche of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The air crew was supported by the army’s 3rd SAF Transport Battalion and SAF defence partners, such as ST Engineering.

Before each airdrop mission, the personnel took about 24 hours to prepare and properly load the supplies onto the C-130.

The cargo was then inspected by 3rd Warrant Officer Keith Ho Kee Hao, who is a loadmaster from the 122 Squadron.

3WO Ho, 33, said one of the key takeaways from the airdrop operations was the importance of passing on “his experience and lessons learnt to the future generation”.

It was about telling them that “our work matters to people on the ground – like in this case, the city of Gaza – and to really take our training seriously and not take everything for granted”, he added.

In the air, the job of the pilot is not simply to release the cargo into a drop zone, said LTC Teeneshwaran, who was previously deployed in relief missions to Myanmar, India and the Philippines.

The pilot has to ensure there are no building infrastructure or people in the drop zone.

Dropping the humanitarian supplies also involves real-time assessment of the terrain, as there are no personnel in the drop zone to assist the pilot, said LTC Teeneshwaran.

It is unlike a training environment, where operations are done in a sanitised area.

LTC Teeneshwaran added: “We have to remain adaptable, nimble and be very familiar with contingencies... to make sure that when the load goes out, it lands safely.”

Singapore’s humanitarian aid included medical supplies from the Ministry of Health, and food supplies from non-governmental organisations, such as Humanity Matters, Caritas Humanitarian Aid and Relief Initiatives Singapore, Mercy Relief and Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation.

The Changi Regional Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Coordination Centre consolidated the relief aid.

The RSAF completed its

first humanitarian airdrop of emergency supplies in Gaza

on March 20, 2024.

For the latest operation, Senior Minister of State for Defence Zaqy Mohamad had

thanked the Jordanians

for their cooperation.

He had met Major-General Yousef Huneiti, chairman of the Jordan Armed Forces’ Joint Chiefs of Staff, in Amman on Aug 17 to thank him for Jordan’s invitation to the RSAF to participate in the airdrop operations.

Mr Zaqy said those deployed are “committed to ensuring every package lands safely and reaches the people of Gaza” despite the security and safety risks of working in a conflict zone.

“For me, this is more than a military mission,” he added. “This is Singapore’s collective effort, representing our people’s compassion and push for humanity.”