In the scorching heat of the Arizona desert, Singaporean F-16 aviators and maintenance technicians are training at Luke Air Force Base under the watchful eye of US Air Force officers in a regime that is as much a cross-cultural exchange as school for aerial combat.
The Singaporeans train here because Luke’s air space is twice as large as Singapore’s air space and has bombing and gunnery ranges that would be impossible to find in the Southeast Asian city-state. Moreover, the Singaporeans fly in exercises such as Red Flag at Nellis AFB in Nevada, Red Flag Alaska, and Maple Flag in Canada in which they simulate combat against trained US “aggressor” flyers.
The aviators, here for two years, come for what Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Granger of the US Air Force (USAF) called “high-end training” in the interception of enemy attackers, firing missiles beyond visual range, low-level navigation, infrared targeting, laser-guided bombing and night operations using powerful night vision goggles. Colonel Granger commands the 425th Fighter Squadron to which the Singaporeans are assigned.
The threats confronting Singapore today are piracy and terror in the Straits of Malacca and South China Sea through which more cargo ships and tankers pass annually than through the Suez Canal and Panama Canal combined. Parts of that trading route are crucial to Singapore’s vibrant economy. This passage is also critical to US Navy warships sailing between the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Any blockage would cause economic and strategic havoc.
Less evident and at a longer range, say Asian strategists, Singapore’s air force is part of a deterrent aimed at Malaysia, just across the Strait of Johore to the north, and China, which claims large parts of the South China Sea. The 425th’s nickname is the Black Widows.
Colonel Granger, who has four other USAF pilots and 26 civilians on his staff, has operational control over the Singaporeans and is responsible for their training. A Singaporean, Lieutenant Colonel Vincent Leong, is responsible for discipline and administration. Singapore’s Ministry of Defense, without explanation, would not allow Colonel Leong or other Singaporean pilots to be interviewed.
For the Singaporeans, training in the desert is an anomaly since most of their flights at home are over water. Colonel Granger said that made little difference at middle and high altitudes but acknowledged that flying low over water with no terrain features was more difficult than flying low over land where terrain features were discernible.
Singapore has 12 F-16s here, half of them two-seater D models with room for a weapons officer to operate targeting and defensive sensors and to drop bombs. Those planes appear to be especially useful for operations over water.
Among the differences in culture, Colonel Granger said, was that “the Singaporeans are very rank conscious.” A captain is not likely to criticize a major in a meeting in which a training flight is being scrubbed for lessons learned. In contrast, USAF junior officers are expected to speak up when they see a senior officer make a mistake.
The size of the US sometimes overwhelms the Singaporeans, most of whom have never been out of their city-state. Flying north to Canada to take part in Maple Flag drills, Colonel Granger said, the Singaporeans were often eager to take pictures.
On average, Singapore has about 150 people training at the facilities at any one time, 15 being aviators and the rest maintenance technicians. In addition, most bring their families with them and live in quarters on the base. That keeps Colonel Granger and his staff busy easing the culture shock of the Singaporeans.
Colonel Granger, who became squadron commander only a few months ago, has never been to Singapore but seemed to relish the challenge of learning to work with the Singaporeans. He plans to visit Singapore in August in a US delegation to mark Singapore’s national day.
The colonel said Singapore pays for the entire operation of the 425th squadron, including the F-16s, their fuel, spare parts and munitions. Singapore even covers his pay and that of the 30 other Americans assigned to the squadron. The F-16s cost US$23 million each, an F-16 Web site said, but neither the USAF nor Singapore’s Ministry of Defense would disclose the annual cost of the 425th’s operations.
The squadron has a long history in the USAF, fighting in Europe in World War II. In its present incarnation, it was assigned to train Singaporeans in 1992. The current agreement with the US Air Force runs to 2018.
Richard Halloran is a writer based in Hawaii.
The gutting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) by US President Donald Trump’s administration poses a serious threat to the global voice of freedom, particularly for those living under authoritarian regimes such as China. The US — hailed as the model of liberal democracy — has the moral responsibility to uphold the values it champions. In undermining these institutions, the US risks diminishing its “soft power,” a pivotal pillar of its global influence. VOA Tibetan and RFA Tibetan played an enormous role in promoting the strong image of the US in and outside Tibet. On VOA Tibetan,
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), caused a national outrage and drew diplomatic condemnation on Tuesday after he arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office dressed in a Nazi uniform. Sung performed a Nazi salute and carried a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf as he arrived to be questioned over allegations of signature forgery in the recall petition. The KMT’s response to the incident has shown a striking lack of contrition and decency. Rather than apologizing and distancing itself from Sung’s actions,
US President Trump weighed into the state of America’s semiconductor manufacturing when he declared, “They [Taiwan] stole it from us. They took it from us, and I don’t blame them. I give them credit.” At a prior White House event President Trump hosted TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家), head of the world’s largest and most advanced chip manufacturer, to announce a commitment to invest US$100 billion in America. The president then shifted his previously critical rhetoric on Taiwan and put off tariffs on its chips. Now we learn that the Trump Administration is conducting a “trade investigation” on semiconductors which
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then