SAF HAS NEW CHIEF OF AIR FORCE

Brigadier-General (BG) Mervyn Tan Wei Ming took over as Chief of Air Force from Major-General (MG) Hoo Cher Mou at a Change of Command parade on 28 Mar.

At the parade held at Tengah Air Base, MG Hoo handed over the symbol of command to BG Tan, and reviewed a Guard of Honour and six marching contingents comprising servicemen and women from Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) commands.

There were also static displays of the air and ground assets of the RSAF.

In his speech, MG Hoo spoke about the successful overseas operations which the RSAF had taken part in, such as the multinational coalition effort against ISIS and the counter-piracy effort in the Gulf of Aden, to reinforce the professionalism and readiness of the Air Force and its people who, he said, had "served with distinction and dedication in all these operations".

He thanked colleagues, friends and loved ones for their "support and love (which) has been unwavering" during his tenure, and described BG Tan as "a distinguished commander (who) has proven himself to be a very capable and effective officer", and will take "the Air Force to greater heights" as the new chief.

BG Tan, 44, joined the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in 1990 and received the SAF Overseas Training Award (Graduating) in 1992.

He has held various senior command and staff appointments such as Commanding Officer 121 Squadron; Head Air Plans Department; Commander Air Defence and Operations Command; and Director Military Intelligence (DMI) and Chief Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I).

As DMI and Chief C4I, BG Tan was instrumental in the training and nurturing of military intelligence personnel to ensure that the SAF remained at the forefront of military intelligence amid evolving security threats.

As Head Air Plans Department, he spearheaded the review and development of the RSAF's force structure and manpower establishment to enhance the RSAF's capability and efficiency.

MG Hoo, who joined the SAF in 1984, was appointed Chief of Air Force on 25 Mar 2013. He ensured that the RSAF maintained a high level of operational readiness, and introduced initiatives to position the Air Force for its future needs in the areas of training, engineering and people development. He helmed efforts to operationalise key capabilities, such as the F-15SG fighter aircraft, advanced datalink network, and the Hermes 450 and Heron-1 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.