France Building on Close Links With Singapore

Asian Aerospace 2000 -- The heavy French participation in Asian Aerospace 2000 results, in part, from the close links between the Singaporean and French air forces which have grown steadily over the past four years. No fewer than 200 RepSAF personnel, along with about 140 of their dependants, are detached permanently to Cazaux, France, where they operate 18 of the service's A-4 Skyhawks for operational conversion of graduate pilots from Singapore's Air Academy.

It's a neat solution for an air force which is restricted by the miniscule airspace above its national territory of less than 250 square miles.

The links will be further strengthened this week and next when, on the back of their participation at the show, the FAF's first operational Rafale-a two-seater-and a Mirage 2000 from Orange will take part in a bilateral exercise named Eastern Arc. Three French Boeing C-135FR tanker/transports, three C-130 Hercules, two C-160 Transalls and a Falcon 20 are also taking part, together with some 170 FAF personnel.

At the same time some of the FAF's top brass are in Singapore not only to see the Changi show, but to take part in the associated Millennium Air Power Conference at which they will discuss new frontiers and perspectives in air defense and technology with counterparts from other ASEAN nations, and from the USA, Britain and Australia.

The French Patrouille de France formation display team will be putting to good use its long trek to Singapore and back. En route here and on the return trip it is performing in France, India, Brunei, the Philippines, Malaysia and Oman.

By Bob Rodwell