Singapore and Malaysian air forces complete 3-day search-and-rescue exercise
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RSAF H225M (right) and RMAF EC725 helicopters conducting joint aerial search-and rescue operations.
PHOTO: MINDEF
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SINGAPORE – The Singapore and Malaysian air forces completed a three-day bilateral exercise that focused on helicopter medical evacuation operations, and search and rescue scenarios in daytime and night.
The exercise situations were aimed at enhancing mission planning and execution in a realistic training environment, said the Ministry of Defence in a statement on Sept 5.
“The exercise participants also searched for survivors following a simulated mishap off the southern coast of Singapore, and conducted winching operations to expeditiously evacuate survivors that were adrift in the waters,” the statement added.
The exercise – dubbed Sarex Malsing – involved the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), along with aircrew, ground crew and medical teams from both air forces.
The annual exercise was in 2025 held at Sembawang Air Base from Sept 3 to 5.
An RSAF H225M helicopter executing a night-time wet-winching operation as part of the exercise.
PHOTO: MINDEF
Brigadier-General Ho Kum Luen, who is chief of staff (air staff), and RMAF deputy chief Nur Hafis Abdul Karim together kicked off the exercise on Sept 3.
BG Ho said the exercise aimed to not only help strengthen professional linkages but also further deepen personal relationships and build mutual trust.
An RMAF EC725 helicopter executing a daytime wet-winching operation as part of the exercise.
PHOTO: MINDEF
Lieutenant-General Nur Hafis said exercises like this one ensured that both air forces worked not only for the security of their own nations but also for the greater good of the international community.
Singapore’s Brigadier-General Ho Kum Luen (left) and Malaysia’s Lieutenant-General Nur Hafis Abdul Karim (right) co-officiated the opening ceremony of Sarex Malsing.
PHOTO: MINDEF
Sarex Malsing – which was introduced in 2018 – showcases the professionalism and rapport shared by the personnel of both air forces, and underscores the longstanding defence ties between Singapore and Malaysia, said Mindef.
Other than Sarex Malsing, the RSAF and RMAF cooperate regularly across a wide range of activities, including bilateral visits and professional exchanges, as well as in multilateral activities under the ambit of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA), it added.
The FPDA member states are Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore. The FPDA is a key defence pact created in 1971, amid the withdrawal of British forces from Singapore, with the aim of safeguarding the external defence of Singapore and Malaysia.
