DEFENCE, TRANSPORT MINISTERS OPEN SINGAPORE AIRSHOW 2014

The Singapore Airshow 2014 (SA 2014) took off today with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by guests of honour, Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen and Transport Minister Mr Lui Tuck Yew.

Also gracing the ceremony were 2nd Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing and Minister of State for Defence Mohamad Maliki bin Osman.

Held at the Changi Exhibition Centre, this was the fourth Singapore Airshow since its inauguration in 2008.

The day got off to a flying start, with clear blue skies setting the stage for a spectacular aerial performance by the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Black Knights. Their months of hard work clearly paid off, as manoeuvres such as the Criss Cross drew loud gasps from the crowds, which included local and international political and military leaders.

After the 22-minute performance, guests were invited to tour the SA 2014 Exhibition. The 34,000 sq m hall brought together more than 500 exhibitors from the aviation industry as well as defence technology developers. Among the exhibitors were Airbus Group and Singapore Technologies (ST) Engineering.

With its scale and range of aviation products, the exhibition attracted many experts and business partners from the industry. Mr Triston Wan, a senior consultant from local firm Sapientia Holdings, which partners Microsoft, said: "It's amazing. We saw quite a lot of new technologies. It's a very wide range of technologies, from ship management to aerodynamic equipment. So it's quite impressive."

At ST Engineering s booth, Dr Ng viewed the latest defence technologies and climbed into a CETRON Next Gen Tactical Command Post, a command centre that can be mounted on the back of heavy vehicles.

Following a tour of the outdoor display, Dr Ng paid a visit to the RSAF Pavilion, which featured the history of the Air Force, its community, its overseas deployments and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts. Dr Ng took the opportunity to meet members of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Task Group, who had been deployed to Afghanistan from August to November in 2010.

The RSAF Pavilion also included simulation games that allow visitors to try their hand at taking on the different roles in air warfare. Dr Ng gamely attempted to pilot an F-16 aircraft in one of them.

During his visit to the RSAF Pavilion, Dr Ng also launched "Our Air Force Story", a commemorative book to celebrate the RSAF's 45th Anniversary. The book features a collection of personal stories by airmen and women, both active and retired, and their contributions to Singapore's air defence. A copy of the book, autographed by Dr Ng, will be displayed at the Air Force Museum.

Singapore will continue to play host to international delegates visiting SA 2014, which runs from now until this Sunday 16 Feb. The Airshow will be open to the public on 15 and 16 Feb.