Indo-Pacific news
The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) will resume its combat aircraft training in Australia, after a suspension in such activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Several RSAF Boeing F-15SG Eagle fighters, an Airbus A330 MRTT, and a Gulfstream G550 Conformal Airborne Early Warning (CAEW) aircraft will conduct training activities in the Northern Territory from October 7 to December 11.
In light of the pandemic, the 200 RSAF personnel accompanying the aircraft will undergo seven days of self-isolation and a COVID-19 test before coming to Australia. They will then undergo 14 days of quarantine at a Darwin area hotel managed and supervised by the ADF before starting their activities.
In addition to bilateral and multinational training activities with the ADF, land and airspace-scarce Singapore conducts unilateral training in Australia with permanent and temporary detachments of troops and aircraft.
The RSAF training detachment was to have gone to the Northern Territory in July, with its unilateral training then folding into the large-scale biennial multi-national Pitch Black air combat exercise in August. However, the biennial exercise was cancelled as a result of the pandemic.