Relocation of Paya Lebar Airbase

Mdm Speaker, the Member Dr Lim Wee Kiak has asked a highly relevant question as the relocation of Paya Lebar Airbase (PLAB) must never compromise the ability of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) to safeguard Singapore's security and sovereignty.

Indeed, this was the over-riding and primary consideration when MINDEF and the SAF studied the possibility of relocating PLAB. We were mindful that the current capabilities of the RSAF were achieved over four decades and remain critical to protect a small country like Singapore which lacks strategic depth.

The RSAF's superior air defence and strike capabilities have been built up through prudent and steady investments of resources and land allocation for our defence needs. Over the years, we have acquired, adapted and developed advanced technologies and state-of-the-art platforms to provide more accurate and timely early warning and situational awareness of potential threats. We will continue to invest in these capabilities.

In particular, the RSAF is putting into place a state-of-art multi-layered Island Air Defence System to provide a comprehensive shield protecting Singapore against airborne threats. This includes at the outer perimeter, our existing Gulfstream-550 Airborne Early Warning aircraft, which replaced the E2C in 2012, and significantly enhanced our early warning and air defence

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capabilities through its better endurance and longer range of detection.

I would like to announce today that the SAF will also be acquiring the ASTER-30 Surface-to-Air Missile System. This missile defence system against airborne threats is used by advanced militaries such as France and Italy. The ASTER-30's capabilities are many times more potent than our current I-HAWK ground-based air defence system. The ASTER will allow us to engage multiple threats simultaneously and from a longer distance. It will complement the SPYDER, which we have already operationalised – it is a mobile, shorter-range, quick reaction ground-based air defence system – and together, they will provide a layered air defence shield.

The RSAF will also be looking to upgrade its fighter fleet. We plan to upgrade our F16s to modernise their avionics and extend their lifespan. Our F15SGs were recently acquired and have proven themselves in recent multilateral military exercises with advanced Air Forces like those from the US and Australia during Exercise Cope Tiger and Exercise Pitch Black. Also, as announced at the Committee of Supply in March this year, we are evaluating the suitability of the advanced multi-role F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in meeting our long-term security needs to further modernise our fighter fleet and replace our older aircraft.

These advanced capabilities that I have mentioned have been built up through steady defence investments over the years, and have now provided the confidence for MINDEF and the SAF to consider relocating PLAB in the long term to meet national development needs.

In 2011, MINDEF and the SAF conducted a thorough assessment of our capabilities and security threats for the long term. We satisfied ourselves that our security would not be compromised and that relocation of PLAB could take place after existing airbases at Changi East (CAB) and Tengah (TAB) have been expanded to accommodate relocated assets and facilities.

The expansion of CAB and TAB will be necessary to house relocated fighter and support squadrons as well as accommodate facilities currently housed in PLAB. As Members would recognise, this undertaking is complex but the RSAF will use this opportunity to build anew through innovative operational concepts and advanced airbase designs, which will enhance the effectiveness and resilience of the airbases. Newly expanded and improved airbases together with advanced fighter fleets protected by a multi-layered air defence shield will ensure that the RSAF maintains its deterrent edge and continues to be an

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effective and formidable Air Force.

PLAB's relocation will be a long-term and complex undertaking. MINDEF will be working closely with MND on the detailed planning and implementation of the relocation over the next two decades.

Mdm Speaker, let me thank the Minister for his comprehensive answer. I would like to ask the Minister: does this relocation change the order of battle (orbat) of the entire Air Force and what is the estimated cost of the entire relocation?

First, I would say that Paya Lebar Airbase's relocation is a long-term plan. It does not in any way affect current operations or manning at PLAB. Dr Lim asked for orbat. I would say that generally, the answer is no. It does not affect the orbat. We will continue to modernise our air fleets, as I have said. I also announced that we are currently looking at the F-35s. We will take our time because that is a long-term need.

He also asked for cost. It will be costly because it is a complex undertaking that will require fairly intense and sometimes highly skilled engineering to accommodate some of the facilities. In coming to this decision, we have worked together with MND to calculate the trade-offs, and on balance, because of the space that is released from the relocated Paya Lebar Airbase, including the height templates around it, on a nett basis, it is many billion dollars worth of positive returns to the people of Singapore. That is the basis on which we have made the decision.

Thank you, Mdm Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister if there is a potential in the future for all our airbase facilities to be consolidated in a possible location, and what are the factors that might actually contribute to us consolidating them in that way.

As I have said in my reply, we took a very detailed study of this possibility just to relocate Paya Lebar Airbase. I am not at liberty to release all the classified information that we looked at, but it was a balance between our ability to preserve RSAF's capabilities and to protect Singapore. It is not our intent to squeeze our defence assets to the most efficient because there is the issue of ability of operational needs. This configuration, with an expanded Changi Airbase and expanded Tengah Airbase, fulfils those needs.

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Already, the relocation of Paya Lebar Airbase is a long-term initiative and we have given this a timeline of perhaps around 2030. This will serve us for the longer term and there are no plans and no studies to even further consolidate.

Mdm Speaker, I thank the Minister for the announcement that the HAWK system would be upgraded. I am a HAWK officer. In fact, a whole squadron of men and women has been dedicated to manning the system for many years. Therefore, my question is, how much overlap would there be to ensure that a whole squadron of men and women are equipped with the new upgraded system that the Minister talked about.

Mdm Speaker, first, let me thank the Member Christopher de Souza for protecting our skies through the HAWK system. We will ensure that officers like him and units which are caught in the transition will be smoothly transitioned to new systems. We have done it before, as we did with SPYDER that replaced various other systems. This is not the first time that we have changed systems. I am confident that we will put in the gears smoothly.