In 1969, a number of local RAF technicians were released to join the fledgling SADC. The following month, another pioneer group of technicians, this time from the rotary wing, were sent to France to begin their technical training on the Aérospatiale Alouette III helicopter. The training was based on the Hawker Hunter, the SADC's first air defence fighter. Finally, the first batch of six pilot trainees were sent to the United Kingdom in August 1968 to undergo training in various technical disciplines. The SADC also enlisted the help of the Royal Air Force which introduced the first flying training syllabus and provided two ex-RAF pilots as instructors, as well as facilities and services at Seletar Airport. Basic training for pilots was carried out using two Cessna light aircraft hired from the Singapore Flying Club. Qualified flying instructors were obtained through Airwork Services Limited, a company specialising in defence services. The SADC's immediate task was to set up the Flying Training School to train pilots. The predecessor to the RSAF, the SADC, was formed on 1 September 1968. Prior to then, Singapore had depended heavily on Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) for its air defence, while the newly established Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) had concentrated its efforts mainly on building up the land-based Singapore Army. In January 1968, the British, which by this time has lost most of its global prestige especially after the Suez Crisis and was facing major financial difficulties that was greatly exacerbated by the devaluation of the pound, announced the imminent withdrawal of all their troops " East of Suez" by the end of 1971. ( November 2021) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This section needs additional citations for verification. In 2021, the RSAF had a strength of 8,000 active personnel and 319 aircraft. It also has overseas detachments in various countries or states, most notably in Australia, the United States, Thailand and france. The current commander of the RSAF is Major General Kelvin Khong, serving since 2019.Īs of 2021, the RSAF uses five air bases domestically, most notably at Paya Lebar and Tengah, as well as at civil airports such as Changi and Seletar. It has been considered by various military analysts as being the most technologically advanced air force in the region, with the ability to successfully continuously act as a strong deterrence from potential hostile nations as well as defending the city-state's airspace. The RSAF has undertaken a significant role in Singapore's military defence strategy since its formation. It was first founded on 1 September 1968 as the Singapore Air Defence Command ( SADC), before being renamed to its current iteration on 1 April 1975. The Republic of Singapore Air Force ( RSAF, Malay: Angkatan Udara Republik Singapura Chinese: 新加坡共和国空军 Tamil: சிங்கப்பூர் ஆகாயப்படை) is the aerial warfare branch of the Singapore Armed Forces.