1.
Sembawang Air Base
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Sembawang Air Base is a military airbase of the Republic of Singapore Air Force located at Sembawang, in the northern part of Singapore. The base motto is Dare and Will, after the Japanese capture of Singapore during World War II, the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service took over the two RAF stations of Sembawang and Seletar. Singapore was split into north-south spheres of control, and the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force took over RAF Tengah and it was not until September 1945 that the two airfields reverted to British control following the Japanese surrender. The base was renamed Sembawang Air Base in 1971 when it was handed over to the Singapore Air Defence Command, from 1971 to 1976, under the auspices of the Five Power Defence Arrangements, Sembawang housed British, Australian and New Zealand forces. In 1983, the became a full-fledged rotary-wing air base when the first resident helicopter squadron –120 Squadron – was permanently relocated from Changi Air Base. Currently, there are approximately 100 helicopters based in Sembawang Air Base, almost all are operating in support of the Singapore Army, recently added to the base are the AH-64D Longbow Apache attack helicopters. Data current as of October 2006, RSAF web page on Sembawang Air Base Background history of R. N. A. S
2.
Kestrel
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The name kestrel is given to several different members of the falcon genus, Falco. Other falcons are more adapted to hunting in flight. In addition, kestrels are notable for usually having a lot of brown in their plumage, kestrels can hover in still air, even indoors in barns. Because they face towards any slight wind when hovering, the kestrel is called a windhover in some areas. Unusually for falcons, plumage often differs between male and female, although as is usual with monogamous raptors the female is larger than the male. This allows a pair to fill different feeding niches over their home range, kestrels are bold and have adapted well to human encroachment, nesting in buildings and hunting by major roads. Kestrels do not build their own nests, but use nests built by other species, most species termed kestrels appear to form a distinct clade among the falcons, as suggested by comparison of mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data and morphology. This seems to have diverged from other Falco around the Miocene–Pliocene boundary, approximately during the Gelasian, the main lineage of true kestrels emerged, this contains the species characterized by a malar stripe. This too seems to have evolved in Africa and subsequently spread across the Old World until they reached Australia some time during the Middle Pleistocene and this group contains several taxa found on Indian Ocean islands. The American kestrel is the only New World species termed kestrel, have taken up living in some cities in England
3.
Republic of Singapore Air Force
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The Republic of Singapore Air Force is the air arm of the Singapore Armed Forces. It was first established in 1968 as the Singapore Air Defence Command, in 1975, it was renamed the Republic of Singapore Air Force. In January 1968, the British announced the imminent withdrawal of all their troops east of Suez by the end of 1971, the predecessor to the RSAF, the SADC, was formed in September 1968. The SADCs immediate task was to set up the Flying Training School to train pilots, qualified flying instructors were obtained through Airwork Services Limited, a UK-based company specialising in defence services. Basic training for pilots was carried out using two Cessna light aircraft hired from the Singapore Flying Club, finally, the first batch of six pilot trainees were sent to the United Kingdom in August 1968 to undergo training in various technical disciplines. The training was based on the Hawker Hunter, the SADCs first air defence fighter, the following month, another pioneer group of technicians, this time from the rotary wing, were sent to France to begin their technical training on the Aérospatiale Alouette III helicopter. In 1969, a number of local RAF technicians were released to join the fledging SADC, eight Cessna 172K aircraft – the SADCs first – arrived in May 1969 to be used for basic pilot training. By December, the first batch of students completed the course, of these, six were sent to the UK to receive further training. On their return to Singapore in 1970, they were ready to operate the newly acquired Hawker Hunter fighter aircraft. The pace of training pilots and ground crew picked up gradually, on 1 August 1969, Minister for the Interior and Defence, Lim Kim San, inaugurated the Flying Training School at Tengah Air Base. The inauguration of FTS brought SADC closer to its goal of fulfilling the heavy responsibility of defending Singapores airspace. The subsequent arrival of the BAC Strikemasters in 1969, used for advanced flying training. The first batch of locally trained fighter pilots were trained at the FTS, amongst this batch was 2LT Goh Yong Siang, who later rose to the appointment of Chief of Air Force on 1 July 1995. Gradually, the SADC had its own pilots, flying instructors, air traffic controllers, when Britain brought forward its plan to withdraw its forces by September 1971, the SADC was suddenly entrusted with a huge responsibility and resources. Britains former air bases – Tengah, Seletar, Sembawang and Changi – were handed over to the SADC, as well as its air defence radar station, in 1973, the SADC procured Shorts Skyvan search-and-locate aircraft and Douglas A-4 Skyhawk fighter-bombers. With a reliable mix of fighters, fighter-bombers, helicopters and transport aircraft, on 1 April 1975, the SADC was renamed the Republic of Singapore Air Force. One of its first commanders was LTC Ee Tean Chye, wars involving Singapore Air Force, 2004-2008 Multi-National Force – Iraq. Aircraft participated in the Iraq War and returned home after two or three months deployment in the Persian Gulf without any ground troops involved, Singapores withdrawal was acknowledged on 23 December 2008
4.
Boeing AH-64 Apache
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The Boeing AH-64 Apache is an American four-blade, twin-turboshaft attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement and a tandem cockpit for a two-man crew. It features a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night vision systems and it is armed with a 30 mm M230 chain gun carried between the main landing gear, under the aircrafts forward fuselage. It has four hardpoints mounted on stub-wing pylons, typically carrying a mixture of AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, the AH-64 has a large amount of systems redundancy to improve combat survivability. The Apache originally started as the Model 77 developed by Hughes Helicopters for the United States Armys Advanced Attack Helicopter program to replace the AH-1 Cobra, the prototype YAH-64 was first flown on 30 September 1975. The U. S. Army selected the YAH-64 over the Bell YAH-63 in 1976, after purchasing Hughes Helicopters in 1984, McDonnell Douglas continued AH-64 production and development. The helicopter was introduced to U. S. Army service in April 1986, the first production AH-64D Apache Longbow, an upgraded Apache variant, was delivered to the Army in March 1997. Production has been continued by Boeing Defense, Space & Security, American AH-64s have served in conflicts in Panama, the Persian Gulf, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Israel used the Apache in its conflicts in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, British and Dutch Apaches have seen deployments in wars in Afghanistan. Following the cancellation of the AH-56 Cheyenne in 1972, in favor of projects like the U. S, the Army wanted an aircraft better than the AH-1 Cobra in firepower, performance and range. It would have the maneuverability for terrain following nap-of-the-earth flying, to this end, the U. S. Army issued a Request For Proposals for an Advanced Attack Helicopter on 15 November 1972. As a sign of the importance of project, in September 1973 the Army designated its five most important projects as the Big Five. Proposals were submitted by Bell, Boeing Vertol/Grumman team, Hughes, Lockheed, in July 1973, the U. S. Department of Defense selected finalists Bell and Hughes Aircrafts Toolco Aircraft Division. This began the phase 1 of the competition, each company built prototype helicopters and went through a flight test program. Hughes Model 77/YAH-64A prototype first flew on 30 September 1975, while Bells Model 409/YAH-63A prototype first flew on 1 October 1975, after evaluating the test results, the Army selected Hughes YAH-64A over Bells YAH-63A in 1976. Reasons for selecting the YAH-64A included its more damage tolerant four-blade main rotor, weapons and sensor systems were integrated and tested during this time, including the laser-guided AGM-114 Hellfire missile. In 1981, three pre-production AH-64As were handed over to the U. S. Army for Operational Test II, the Army testing was successful, but afterward it was decided to upgrade to the more powerful T700-GE-701 version of engine, rated at 1,690 shp. The AH-64 was named the Apache in late 1981, keeping with the Armys traditional use of American Indian tribal names for its helicopters, in 1983, the first production helicopter was rolled out at Hughes Helicopters facility at Mesa, Arizona. Hughes Helicopters was purchased by McDonnell Douglas for $470 million in 1984, the helicopter unit later became part of The Boeing Company with the merger of Boeing and McDonnell Douglas in August 1997
5.
Singapore National Day Parade
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Singapore celebrated its first National Day as an independent nation in 1966, one year after Singapores separation from Malaysia on 9 August 1965. The first National Day Parade started in the morning at 9,00 a. m. that day, People came as early as 7,00 a. m. in order to get good vantage points. Singapores first President, Mr Yusof bin Ishak and Singapores first Prime Minister, when the parade began,6 military contingents, a mobile column from the SIR, and various schools and civil contingents marched past City Hall and then into the city streets. Three military bands accompanied the parade inspection and later the march past with military music, the Singapore Fire Brigade also took part in this first parade with its firetrucks included in the mobile column. Rounding it all was a lion and dragon dance performance from drum. The following year, the contingents increased to 76, including those of the then established Singapore Armed Forces, street performances by various groups also debuted in that years parade. 1969s parade, the one where the Mobile Column made its first drivepast, on the August 9,1970 NDP edition, the Flypast of the State Flag and the Republic of Singapore Air Force Flypast debuted. A combat simulation performance by Singapore Army personnel was one of the new highlights for that year, the 1971 NDP was the first to include the iconic mobile parade floats from various organizations. Choirs also debuted on that years edition, the 1973 parade was held from the afternoon to early evening for the first time to attract more attendance from the public. The next year, colour broadcasts of the parade on television began, the 1975 parades, held to celebrate Singapores 10th year, were for the first time decentralized into 13 parade venues for more public participation. Almost all of them lasted for an hour and all of them even had route marches on the streets to the participating venues, 1977s parade was a decentralized event like two years before while 1978 would see the parade back at the Padang grounds. 1979s parade was yet another decentralized one, held in high schools. The 1980 parade, held at the National Stadium, almost rained at the start and this was the first parade in which the feu de joie of the Guard-of-Honour contingents made its inaugural appearance. 1981s NDP was the very first parade appearance of the then SPF Civil Defense Command, presently the Singapore Civil Defense Force and they were held in two decentralised venues, Jurong and Queenstown Sports Stadiums for further increase public attendance and participation in the celebrations. 1983 would be the year that the NDP was held in multiple venues. The 1986 edition was the first true evening edition of the parade, 1987s parade, held at the Padang, was the first ever evening event held there and featured the first appearance of the massed military bands of the SAF. The parade returned to the Padang in 1990 to honor the nations silver jubilee year, in 1997, for the first time, there was a National Education Show, where Primary 5 students watch NDP rehearsals. The government set up the electronic voting ticketing system in 2003 in order to tackle the problem of overcrowding, such ticketing system enables citizens to stand a chance at winning the tickets by registering their e-mail addresses or mobile numbers at the NDP website or phonelines
6.
127 Squadron, Republic of Singapore Air Force
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Formed at Sembawang Air Base in 1998, the 127 Squadron was set up to provide the RSAF with much needed help in the heavylift/support role of troop-lift and equipment transportation. And from time to time, the squadrons Chinooks are also used to augment 125 Sqn &126 Sqn in Search & Rescue operations. Within 45 minutes from the time of activation, the squadrons commanding officer—LTC Low Chung Guan along with co-pilot MAJ Andy Lim, the unconscious casualty, Leading Rating Cleary, was subsequently airlifted to National University Hospital in Singapore for medical treatment, whereupon he made a full recovery. Commander Brooks then thanked the RSAF and 127 Sqn for their prompt response, also, during Singapores annual National Day Parade, the Chinooks of 127 Sqn takes on a different, but no less important role by flying the Singapore flag proudly over the parade venue since 2000. 6× CH-47D / 12× CH-47SD Chinooks RSAF web page on 127 Sqn & Sembawang Air Base, archived from the original on 11 October 2008
7.
Boeing CH-47 Chinook
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The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is an American twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter. Its primary roles are troop movement, artillery placement and battlefield resupply and it has a wide loading ramp at the rear of the fuselage and three external ventral cargo hooks. With a top speed of 170 knots the helicopter was faster than contemporary 1960s utility helicopters and attack helicopters, the CH-47 is among the heaviest lifting Western helicopters. Its name is from the Native American Chinook people, the Chinook was designed and initially produced by Boeing Vertol in the early 1960s, it is now produced by Boeing Rotorcraft Systems. It is one of the few aircraft of that era – along with the fixed-wing Lockheed C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft – that remain in production and frontline service, with over 1,200 built to date. The helicopter has been sold to 16 nations with the U. S. Army, in late 1956, the United States Department of the Army announced plans to replace the Sikorsky CH-37 Mojave, which was powered by piston engines, with a new, gas turbine-powered helicopter. Turbine engines were also a key feature of the smaller UH-1 Huey utility helicopter. Following a design competition, in September 1958, a joint Army–Air Force source selection board recommended that the Army procure the Vertol medium transport helicopter, however, funding for full-scale development was not then available, and the Army vacillated on its design requirements. Vertol began work on a new tandem-rotor helicopter designated Vertol Model 107 or V-107 in 1957, in June 1958, the U. S. Army awarded a contract to Vertol for the aircraft under the YHC-1A designation. The YHC-1A had a capacity for 20 troops, three were tested by the Army for deriving engineering and operational data. However, the YHC-1A was considered by most of the Army users to be too heavy for the assault role, the decision was made to procure a heavier transport helicopter and at the same time upgrade the UH-1 Huey as a tactical troop transport. The YHC-1A would be improved and adopted by the Marines as the CH-46 Sea Knight in 1962, the Army then ordered the larger Model 114 under the designation HC-1B. The pre-production Boeing Vertol YCH-1B made its initial hovering flight on 21 September 1961, in 1962 the HC-1B was redesignated the CH-47A under the 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system. It was named Chinook for the Chinook people of the Pacific Northwest, the CH-47 is powered by two Lycoming T55 turboshaft engines, mounted on each side of the helicopters rear pylon and connected to the rotors by driveshafts. Initial models were fitted with engines rated at 2,200 horsepower each, the counter-rotating rotors eliminate the need for an anti-torque vertical rotor, allowing all power to be used for lift and thrust. The ability to adjust lift in either rotor makes it sensitive to changes in the center of gravity. If one engine fails, the other can drive both rotors, the sizing of the Chinook was directly related to the growth of the Huey and the Armys tacticians insistence that initial air assaults be built around the squad. The Army pushed for both the Huey and the Chinook, and this focus was responsible for the acceleration of its air mobility effort, improved and more powerful versions of the CH-47 have been developed since the helicopter entered service
8.
AGM-114 Hellfire
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It was originally developed under the name Heliborne, Laser, Fire and Forget Missile, which led to the colloquial name Hellfire ultimately becoming the missiles formal name. It has multi-mission, multi-target precision-strike ability, and can be launched from air, sea. The Hellfire missile is the primary 100-pound class air-to-ground precision weapon for the forces of the United States. The Hellfire can be deployed from rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft, waterborne vessels, most variants are laser guided with one, AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire, being radar guided. The development of the Hellfire Missile System began in 1974 with the U. S. Army requirement for a tank-buster, production of the AGM-114A started in 1982. The Hellfire II, developed in the early 1990s is a missile system with several variants. Predator, Reaper and AH665 Tiger, UCAVs carry the Hellfire II, but the most common platform is the AH-64 Apache helicopter gunship, which can carry up to 16 of the missiles at once. It also works in adverse weather and battlefield obscurants, such as smoke, each Hellfire weighs 47 kilograms, including the 9 kilograms warhead, and has a range of 8,000 metres. The AGM-114R Romeo Hellfire II entered service in late 2012 and it uses a semi-active laser homing guidance system and an integrated blast fragmentation sleeve warhead to engage targets that previously needed multiple Hellfire variants. It will replace AGM-114K, M, N, and P variants in U. S. service, in October 2012, the U. S. ordered 24,000 Hellfire II missiles, for both the U. S. armed forces and foreign customers. The Joint Common Missile was to replace Hellfire II by around 2011, the JCM was developed with a tri-mode seeker and a multi-purpose warhead that would combine the capabilities of the several Hellfire variants. In the budget for FY2006, the U. S. Department of Defense canceled a number of projects that they no longer warranted continuation based on their cost effectiveness. A possible new JCM successor called the Joint Air to Ground Missile is under consideration, the only known operational air-to-air kill with a Hellfire took place on 24 May 2001. A civilian Cessna 152 aircraft entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon, with unknown intentions, an Israeli Air Force AH-64A helicopter fired upon the Cessna, resulting in its complete disintegration. In 2008, the usage of the AGM-114N variant caused controversy in the United Kingdom when it was reported that these thermobaric munitions were added to the British Army arsenal, thermobaric weapons have been condemned by human rights groups. The UK Ministry of Defence refers to the AGM-114N as an enhanced blast weapon, in January 2016 the Wall Street Journal reported that one training missile without a warhead was accidentally shipped to Cuba in 2014 after a training mission in Europe. The dummy missile was later returned, a US official said that this was an inert dummy version of the Lockheed system, known as a Captive Air Training Missile. It is stripped of its warhead, fuse, guidance equipment, AGM-114A Basic Hellfire Target, Tanks, armored vehicles
9.
Hydra 70
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The Hydra 70 rocket is a 2. 75-inch fin-stabilized unguided rocket used primarily in the air-to-ground role. It can be equipped with a variety of warheads, and in recent versions. The Hydra is widely used by US and allied forces, competing with the Canadian CRV-7 which is physically interchangeable. The Hydra 70 is derived from the 2. 75-inch Mk 4/Mk 40 Folding-Fin Aerial Rocket developed by the United States Navy for use as an aerial rocket in the late 1940s. The Mk 40 was used during the Korean and Vietnam wars, being used to close air support to ground forces from about 20 different firing platforms. The main change made to produce the Hydra was the Mk.66 motor which uses a new propellant that offers more thrust,1,335 pounds-force 1,415 pounds-force. To improve stability during the time while the fins are still opening, today, the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior and AH-64D Apache Longbow, as well as the Marine Corps AH-1 Cobra, carry the Hydra rocket launcher standard on its weapon pylons. The family of Hydra 702.75 inch rockets perform a variety of functions, the war reserve unitary and cargo warheads are used for anti-materiel, anti-personnel, and suppression missions. The Hydra 70 family of folding-fin aerial rockets also includes smoke screening, illumination, Hydra 70 rockets are known mainly by either their warhead type or by the rocket motor designation, Mk 66 in US military service. In the U. S. Marine Corps, either the M260 or M261 launchers are employed on the AH-1 Cobra and future AH-1Z Viper, the M260 and M261 are used with the Mk 66 series of rocket motor, which replaced the Mk 40 series. The Mk 66 has a reduced weight and provides a remote fuze setting interface. Hydra 70s have also been fired from UH-60 and AH-6 series aircraft in US Army service. S, Marine Corps because they were not compatible with the Mk 66 rocket motor. The Hydra 70 rocket system is used by the U. S. Navy. Hydra 70 warheads fall into three categories, Unitary warheads with impact-detonating fuzes or remote-set multi-option fuzes, cargo warheads with air burst-range, with setable fuzes using the wall-in-space concept or fixed standoff fuzes. The most common warhead for the Hydra 70 rocket is the M151 10-Pounder, NOTE, Though some of the warheads described were designed for the older Mk 40 rocket motor, but most likely could work with the Mk 66 motor if upgraded or modernized models were not available. However, this would not be necessary, as vast quantities of upgraded models exist today, weight,13.6 pounds Length,41.7 inches Burn time,1. 05–1. Roketsan Cirit is a similar missile compatible with 70 mm rocket launchers, saudi Arabia Singapore South Korea Thailand United Arab Emirates U. S. Army Aviation and Missile Command CRV-7 FFAR rocket 2.75 in SNEB rocket FZ air-to-ground rockets 70mm/2.75 Zuni 5 in Hydra 70. Hydra-70 Rockets, From Cutbacks to the Future of Warfare, Defense Industry Daily, hydra-70, Warheads energetics, Weapon Systems, General Dynamics
10.
30 mm caliber
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The 30 mm caliber is a specific size of autocannon ammunition. Such ammunition includes NATO standard 30×173mm and 30×113mmB rounds and Soviet 30×165mm rounds which are used around the world. 30 mm ammunition is not used against personnel, but rather as an anti-materiel or armor-piercing round. Rounds of this size can be effective against armored vehicles as well as fortified bunkers, the most modern anti-aircraft gun systems in use by Russia are 30 mm caliber. The U. S. military uses 30 mm weapons in their A-10 Thunderbolt II and it was going to be used in the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle until the project was cancelled. 30 mm ammunition generally comes in three varieties, armor-piercing, high-explosive, and training rounds, armor-piercing and high-explosive cartridges usually also possess incendiary characteristics
1971, an Alouette III of the squadron on detachment to Changi Air Base
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