4 Gulfstream 550 AEW aircraft to guard Singapore's skies

'Eyes in the skies' ready for combat
Boost for Singapore's air defences as new early warning jets are declared operational
By Jermyn Chow, The Straits Times, 14 Apr 2012

SINGAPORE'S latest early warning surveillance jets were declared battle-ready yesterday, in a move that strengthens the Republic's air defences.

The four Gulfstream 550s (G550s) - the same business planes used by the rich and famous - were converted for military purposes and will help combatants to spot and destroy enemy targets more quickly. They replace the Republic of Singapore Air Force's ageing E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft, which had been in service since 1987.



The new jets are fitted with powerful, sophisticated radars, which allow air crew to see farther - beyond 200 nautical miles. Powered by two Rolls-Royce turbofan engines, the new 'eyes in the skies' can also fly higher and faster.

Captain Teo Tai Leng, who flew the E-2C for 41/2years before converting to the G550, said handling his new ride is a lot easier, with more automated electronic systems.

'Handling the E-2C is like driving a manual car while the G550 is a brand new automatic Mercedes-Benz... with more automation, pilots can then concentrate more on spotting potential targets,' said the 35-year-old.

The Air Force's 111 Squadron got the first of the four G550 early warning aircraft in 2009. Since then, it has been training its pilots, radar operators and maintenance crews. The fourth, and last, of the jets was delivered last October.

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, who declared the G550s battle-ready yesterday, said the new planes 'eliminate risks of surprise from the air' all year round.

'Together with our ground-based radar systems, they form an effective alert system to any threat in our airspace and allow us to mount quickly a counter-response through our aircraft and air defence systems,' he added at a ceremony at Tengah Air Base.

Dr Ng also praised the defence scientists and engineers for their innovations and technological expertise in giving the air force an edge with the modified G550s.

Before the ceremony, he flew in one of the new jets, accompanied by Minister of State (Defence and Education) Lawrence Wong and air force chief Ng Chee Meng.

During the 50-minute flight over the South China Sea, Dr Ng got a first-hand look at how crews operated the new radars and identified mock air and sea targets.

The G550s are a vital part of the Air Defence and Operations Command, which combines other ground-based radars and anti-aircraft missiles and guns, to detect and track hostile targets.

But the flying radars, which can look beyond the horizon, will be able to see about 20 times farther than their equivalents on the ground.

For the last few years, the air force has been on a modernisation drive, acquiring state-of-the-art hardware such as stealth frigates, F-15SG fighters and naval helicopters, all of which are already battle-ready.

Besides Singapore, Israel also uses the G550 as its airborne early warning aircraft.

Lieutenant-Colonel Leong Chun Siu, commanding officer of 111 Squadron, said the jets allow the expanded crews to do a lot more. 'Singapore is a small country,' he said. 'We do not have a luxury of geographical depth so really, our ability to see beyond our shores, to be able to know if there are any threats is very important for us...

'Our ability to detect this earlier means that we have more time for response, more time for decision and more time for ground-based air defence fighters to be launched to persecute this potential threat.'




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