BREAKING NEW GROUND AT EXERCISE GARUDA

They flew a distance of 11,500km in six fighter jets over four days, crossed three different time zones, and weathered sandstorms and strong chilly winds.

This was what a group of personnel from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) went through before arriving in France for an exercise with the French and Indian Air Forces. A total of 180 RSAF personnel are participating in the exercise.

Exercise Garuda, the exercise which runs from 14 to 25 Jun, involves the three air forces participating in various air combat and air defence missions. It is conducted from the Orange and Istres air bases in France.

According to Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Nalpon Patrick Selvan, the detachment commander for Exercise Garuda 2010, this year's exercise involves many "firsts".

For example, this is the RSAF's maiden participation in Exercise Garuda, said LTC Patrick, who is also Commanding Officer of 145 Squadron, which operates the F-16D+ fighter jets. Previously, the exercise only involved the French and Indian Air Forces.

"Our participation in Exercise Garuda, allows us to interact with the French and Indian Air Forces on all facets of operations, from the logistics to flying." said LTC Patrick.

Flying from Singapore, with stops made in India and Qatar, LTC Patrick pointed out that the last leg from Qatar to France took about eight hours. That was another first for the F-16D+ pilots, who previously only flew for about six hours at a stretch.

Such a feat was deemed challenging even by the more experienced pilots such as Captain (CPT) Roger Tan, who has eight years of experience as a pilot and close to 1,500 flying hours under his belt.

"Being our longest sortie so far, coupled with having to travel across different time zones, the focus and concentration that we had to put in was just tremendous," he told cyberpioneer.

"To stay focused throughout, I kept myself occupied in the cockpit by referring to the mission materials, and constantly thought of contingency plans in case we needed to land in an emergency."

He also shared his solution to overcoming the problem of jetlag. "At every stop we made, I just changed my watch timing to the local time, and frequently took a look at the watch, so that my mind and body will adjust to the local time."

Participating in night flying operations as part of Exercise Garuda also translated into another milestone for the RSAF team. It was the first time the F-16D+ conducted night operations over European air space.

Said LTC Patrick: "Besides facing environmental conditions that are different from what we are used to, we also had to adapt to different runway procedures...It's a phenomenal step for us. It shows our true multi-role capabilities, that we're able to operate seamlessly in the day and in the night."

For many of the RSAF personnel, their participation in Exercise Garuda also marked some "firsts" in their careers.

Take Military Expert (ME) 1 Darren Batchelor for example. As a flight line crew, his job involves him servicing the F-16D+ jets, as well as inspecting them to ensure their "air-worthiness" before they take off.

On his experience at Exercise Garuda, he said: "Over here in France, they practice servicing and inspecting aircraft in a flight line concept, meaning the aircraft are parked in a line out in the open."

"Without buildings to shield us from elements of the weather, there were days when we experienced hot and dusty conditions due to an approaching sandstorm in Qatar, and also strong winds of about 40 knots here in France."

He added: "As I've never experienced environments this extreme, it makes the job more challenging as there are more safety considerations. It's a new and good experience for me."

Summing up the significance of the RSAF's participation in the exercise, LTC Patrick said: "For the aircrew and ground crew, the experiences that they have shared with the other two Air Forces during the exercise is priceless."

"Achieving so many firsts for this exercise really makes it a once in a lifetime experience. It's something many of us will cherish for a long time."

23 Jun 10 - RSAF participates in Exercise Garuda for first time
23 Jun 10 - RSAF sharpens operational edge in exercise with French and Indian Air Forces