NEW MAN AT HELM OF UAV COMMAND

Senior Lieutenant Colonel (SLTC) Tommy Tan Ah Han took over command of the Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF's) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Command from Colonel (COL) Neo Hong Keat on 20 May.

During the change-of-command parade held at Murai Camp and witnessed by Chief of Air Force Major-General Ng Chee Meng, COL Neo handed the symbol of command to SLTC Tan. COL Neo joined the RSAF on 18 Dec 1985 and became a fighter pilot, flying both the F-5 and F-16C/D fighter aircraft. In the course of his 26-year career with the Air Force, he has held various command and staff appointments, including Commanding Officer (CO) 140 Squadron (SQN) and Deputy Head Air Operations. He received the National Day Award - Public Administration Medal (Bronze) (Military) in 2009.

SLTC Tan, who signed on with the RSAF on 19 Dec 1989, is also a fighter pilot. He has clocked over 1,800 flying hours and operated various RSAF platforms like the F-5, F-16D Blk 52+ and F-15SG. SLTC Tan has held various command and staff appointments in Air Plans Department and Air Operations Department. As CO 145 SQN in 2008, he led the unit in numerous bilateral and multilateral exercises, including Exercise Pitch Black and Exercise Wallaby.

The UAV Command is one of five RSAF commands. It was the second command to be inaugurated under the Air Force's restructuring plan which began in January 2007. The UAV Command provides tactical support for operations conducted by the Singapore Armed Forces, and develops capabilities and skills in unmanned systems operations. It is also the first operational command in the RSAF's 3rd Generation transformation that is manned by personnel from not only the Air Force, but also the Army and Navy, as well as the SAF's Joint Staff.