TRILATERAL AIR FORCE EXERCISE KICKS OFF

The air forces of Singapore, Thailand and the United States will be participating in an annual trilateral exercise code-named Cope Tiger.

The opening ceremony of the exercise was held at Paya Lebar Air Base (PLAB) in Singapore on 19 Dec.

Officiating at the ceremony were Singapore's Chief of Air Force Major-General Ng Chee Khern; Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF), Air Chief Marshal Chalit Pukbhasuk; and Vice Commander of 13th Air Force, United States Air Force (USAF), Major-General Richard E Perraut Jr.

Exercise Cope Tiger is carried out in two phases, the first phase being a Command Post Exercise (CPX) held at PLAB from 12 to 14 Dec.

The CPX involved mission planning exercises and mission commanders' training.

It enabled participants from the three air forces to understand better one another's operating and planning procedures.

The second phase, known as the Flying Training Exercise (FTX), will involve 96 aircraft and about 1000 personnel. It will be conducted in Korat, Thailand from 27 Jan to 5 Feb next year.

Apart from participating in military exercises, personnel from the three air forces will also be involved in a joint socio-civic effort, providing medical and dental assistance to the community in Korat.

Into its 13th edition, Exercise Cope Tiger enhances interoperability of the participating air forces and promotes professional understanding and exchanges among its participants.