HIGH ON ASIAN AEROSPACE 06

Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen and Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Defence and the Environment and Water Resources) Associate Professor Koo Tsai Kee hosted about 200 guests to a visit to the Asian Aerospace 2006 exhibition on 26 Feb.

Accompanied by their family members, representatives from the Government Parliamentary Committee (Defence and Foreign Affairs), Advisory Council for Community Relations in Defence (ACCORD) and the Fourth Committee to Recognise the Contributions of Operationally Ready National Servicemen (RECORD IV) spent Sunday morning learning more about the aircraft and equipment on display at the biennial air show.

Of particular interest were aircraft like the Apache Longbow attack helicopter and the F-15 Eagle fighter jet. For many of the visitors, this was a rare chance to get up close to these mighty machines and discover more about their capabilities.

RECORD IV member Lim Mei Mei had only one word to describe the F-15 - "awesome".

"This is the first time my children and I are attending the exhibition and we find this visit very educational," she said.

Another guest who attended the air show with his family was Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Education and Manpower) Hawazi Daipi (left).

"As a Singaporean, it feels very good to know that we have helped developed and put to good use, many of the equipment at the air show," he said.

Before the visit ended, the visitors were also treated to an exciting flying display that featured military aircraft such as unmanned aerial vehicles, military basic trainer aircraft, the F-16D+ which the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) operates, and the F-15 fighter jet, a variant of which the RSAF acquired recently.

The exhibition was opened to the public over the weekend.

This will be the last Asian Aerospace to be held in Singapore.

Coming up in 2008 is a new exhibition, the Singapore Airshow.