RSAF FIGHTER AIRCRAFT INCIDENT IN THE US

Mr Steve Chia Kiah Hong asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence (a) why was a United States Air Force pilot allowed to fly our Republic of Singapore Air Force fighter aircraft which crashed recently in Arizona in the United States and (b) who will be footing the loss of the aircraft.

Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam: The Government of Singapore has an agreement with the United States Government to base Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) F-16 aircraft in Continental United States to facilitate the training of RSAF pilots and technical crew. This arrangement allows the RSAF to overcome Singapore's lack of airspace and provides an opportunity for RSAF to benchmark itself against the United States Air Force (USAF). Such an arrangement also allows the RSAF to draw on the experience of qualified USAF personnel during routine training. For this reason, a selected class of USAF pilots is allowed to fly our F-16 aircraft under the agreement. The USAF pilot involved in the incident is an experienced Instructor Pilot who trains with our RSAF pilots.

The issue of claims will depend on the outcome of ongoing investigations to determine the cause of the crash.