The Sembawang Air Base is a

military airbase An air base (sometimes referred to as a military air base, military airfield, military airport, air station, naval air station, air force station, or air force base) is an aerodrome used as a military base by a military force for the operation ...

of the

Republic of Singapore Air Force The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is the Aerial warfare, aerial Military branch, service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) responsible for Air supremacy, controlling and defending the airspace of the country, and providing air ...

(RSAF) located at Sembawang, in the northern part of Singapore. The base motto is ''Swift and Resolute''.

History

RAF Sembawang

Before Singapore's independence from the United Kingdom, it was a

Royal Air Force station The Royal Air Force (RAF) operates several stations throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. This includes front-line and training air bases, support, administrative and training stations with no flying activity, unmanned airfields used fo ...

known as RAF Sembawang as well as being the Royal Naval Air Station – HMS ''Simbang'' – to the carrier pilots of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm (attached to the

Eastern Fleet Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai * Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 * Eastern Air ...

based in Singapore) who used it for rest and refit whenever an aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy berthed at the nearby HMNB Singapore for refuel and repairs, which also housed the largest

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by Kingdom of England, English and Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were foug ...

dockyard east of Suez up to the time of UK forces withdrawal from Singapore. After the Japanese capture of Singapore during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, the

Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service The was the air arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). The organization was responsible for the operation of naval aircraft and the conduct of aerial warfare in the Pacific War. The Japanese military acquired their first aircraft in 1910 ...

took over the two RAF stations of Sembawang and

Seletar Seletar is an area located in the north-east of Singapore. Its name can also refer to the Seletar Planning Area (as defined by the Urban Redevelopment Authority), situated in the North-East Region of Singapore. The place name was derived from th ...

. Singapore was split into north–south spheres of control, and the

Imperial Japanese Army Air Force The Imperial Japanese Army Air Service (IJAAS) or Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (IJAAF; ja, 大日本帝國陸軍航空部隊, Dainippon Teikoku Rikugun Kōkūbutai, lit=Greater Japan Empire Army Air Corps) was the aviation force of the Im ...

took over

RAF Tengah ''Tengah'' is an Indonesian and Malay word meaning "Central". It can be found in topography, e.g. * Kalimantan Tengah * Tengah Islands or Central Archipelago. *Tengah, Singapore Tengah is a planning area and future HDB town located within the ...

. It was not until September 1945 that the two airfields reverted to British control following the

Japanese surrender The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945, bringing the war's hostilities to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy ( ...

. RAF Sembawang was a key part of Britain's continued military presence in the Far East (along with the three other RAF bases in Singapore:

RAF Changi Changi () is a planning area located in the geographical region of Tanah Merah in the East Region of Singapore. Sharing borders with Pasir Ris and Tampines to the west, Changi Bay to the southeast, the South China Sea to the east and the S ...

, RAF Seletar,

) during the critical period of the

Malayan Emergency The Malayan Emergency, also known as the Anti–British National Liberation War was a guerrilla war fought in British Malaya between communist pro-independence fighters of the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA) and the military forces o ...

(1948–1960), the Brunei Revolt in 1962 and the

Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation The Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation or Borneo confrontation (also known by its Indonesian language, Indonesian / Malay language, Malay name, ''Konfrontasi'') was an armed conflict from 1963 to 1966 that stemmed from Indonesia's opposition t ...

(1962–1966).

Units

1941–42 * No. 62 Squadron RAF (detachment) –

Bristol Blenheim The Bristol Blenheim is a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company (Bristol) which was used extensively in the first two years of the Second World War, with examples still being used as trainers until ...

I. * No. 21 Squadron,

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

(RAAF) –

Brewster Buffalo The Brewster F2A Buffalo is an American fighter aircraft which saw service early in World War II. Designed and built by the Brewster Aeronautical Corporation, it was one of the first U.S. monoplanes with an arrestor hook and other modification ...

* No. 453 Squadron RAAF – Brewster Buffalo I. 1945–1971
''Royal Air Force'' *

No. 28 Squadron RAF No. 28 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Puma and Chinook helicopters from RAF Benson. History First World War No. 28 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed on 7 November 1915 at RAF Gosport. Initially it was a training squa ...

–

Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allies of World War II, Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 ...

FR.18. * No. 60 Squadron RAF – Spitfire F.18. * No. 194 Squadron RAF reformed here during February 1953 from the Far East Casevac Flight –

Westland Dragonfly The Westland WS-51 Dragonfly helicopter was built by Westland Aircraft and was an Anglicised licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-51. Design and development On 19 January 1947 an agreement was signed between Westland Aircraft and ...

HC.2. * No. 656 Squadron RAF reformed here on 29 June 1948 from No. 1914 Flight RAF – Auster AOP.5. ''Royal Navy'' * Aircraft Holding Unit Sembawang. * Naval Aircraft Support Unit Sembawang. * 791 Naval Air Squadron * 800 Naval Air Squadron *

802 Naval Air Squadron 802 Naval Air Squadron (802 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. Early history 802 Squadron was formed on 3 April 1933 aboard by the merger of two independent Royal Air Force naval units, 408 (Fleet Fighter) Flight ...

804 Naval Air Squadron 804 Naval Air Squadron (804 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy, formed in November 1939 from part of 769 NAS Sea Gladiators which had been detached to RNAS Hatston. The squadron was merged into 800 NAS in June 1944 and subsequentl ...

* 806 Naval Air Squadron *

807 Naval Air Squadron 807 Naval Air Squadron (807 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy. Second World War 807 Squadron was formed at RNAS Worthy Down in September 1940, equipped with Fairey Fulmar Is. Three were embarked on HMS ''Pegasus'', where they r ...

811 Naval Air Squadron 811 Naval Air Squadron was a unit of the British Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was first founded in 1933, and served during World War II, seeing action in the battle of the Atlantic and on Russian convoys, and was eventually disbanded in 1956. S ...

812 Naval Air Squadron 812 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the British Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was active between 1933 and 1956, and saw service in both World War II and the Korean War. Service history First formation The squadron was first for ...

814 Naval Air Squadron 814 Naval Air Squadron or 814 NAS, nicknamed the Flying Tigers, is a squadron of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. It is currently equipped with the AgustaWestland Merlin HM2 anti-submarine warfare helicopter and is based at Royal Naval Air Stati ...

* 815 Naval Air Squadron * 816 Naval Air Squadron * 817 Naval Air Squadron *

820 Naval Air Squadron 820 Naval Air Squadron is a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm carrier-based squadron flying the AgustaWestland Merlin HM2 in an Anti-Submarine role from RNAS Culdrose. The Squadron was formed at RNAS Gosport on 3 April 1933 with the transferral of the ...

* 824 Naval Air Squadron *

825 Naval Air Squadron 825 Naval Air Squadron is a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Naval Air Squadron which was re-commissioned on 10 October 2014 and currently flies the AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA2. It was a carrier-based squadron that was formed on 8 October 1934 from t ...

* 826 Naval Air Squadron *

827 Naval Air Squadron 827 Naval Air Squadron was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War. It operated Fairey Barracudas starting in May 1943, becoming the first squadron to receive the Fairey Barracuda The Fairey Barr ...

* 837 Naval Air Squadron *

845 Naval Air Squadron 845 Naval Air Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. Part of the Commando Helicopter Force, it is a specialist amphibious unit operating the AgustaWestland Commando Merlin HC4 helicopter and provides troop transport and load ...

* 846 Naval Air Squadron * 847 Naval Air Squadron *

848 Naval Air Squadron 848 Naval Air Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. It operated the Westland Sea King HC.4 helicopter and previously provided advanced flying training to pilots for the other squadrons in the Commando Helicopter Force. The s ...

* 849A Naval Air Squadron * 888 Naval Air Squadron * 1700 Naval Air Squadron * 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron

Sembawang Air Base

The base was renamed Sembawang Air Base (SBAB) in 1971 when it was handed over to the Singapore Air Defence Command (SADC). From 1971 to 1976, under the auspices of the

Five Power Defence Arrangements The Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) are a series of bilateral defence relationships established by a series of multi-lateral agreements between Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, all of which are Commonw ...

(FPDA), Sembawang housed British, Australian and New Zealand forces. In 1983, the airbase became a full-fledged rotary-wing air base when the first resident helicopter squadron – 120 Squadron – was permanently relocated from Changi Air Base. In the late 1990s, the extension of Sembawang Airbase has acquired the portion of Lorong Gambas and Lorong Lada Merah for redevelopment works.

Organisation

Currently, there are approximately 100 helicopters based in Sembawang Air Base, almost all are operating in support of the

Singapore Army The Singapore Army is the land service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). The largest of the four branches of the SAF, the Singapore Army traces its origins to the 1st Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (1 SIR), which was formed ...

and the

Republic of Singapore Navy The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) is the naval service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) responsible for defending the country against any sea-borne threats, and the protection of its sea lines of communications, that would com ...

. It is the home base to all the RSAF helicopter squadrons, consisting of

Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma The Airbus Helicopters H215 (formerly Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma) is a four-bladed, twin-engine, medium-size utility helicopter developed and initially produced by the French aerospace company Aérospatiale. It has been subsequently manufactur ...

s, Boeing CH-47SD Chinooks,

Sikorsky S-70 The Sikorsky S-70 is an American medium transport/utility helicopter family manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. It was developed for the United States Army in the 1970s, winning a competition to be designated the UH-60 Black Hawk and spawning ...

B (derivative of

Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk The Sikorsky SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk (or Sea Hawk) is a twin turboshaft engine, multi-mission United States Navy helicopter based on the United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family. The most significant modifica ...

) naval helicopters,http://www.defencetalk.com/singapore-begins-operating-new-s-70-helicopters-24948/ 'Defence Talk : Singapore Begins Operating New S-70 Helicopters' as well as the

Eurocopter Fennec The Eurocopter (now Airbus Helicopters) AS550 Fennec (now H125M) and AS555 Fennec 2 are lightweight, multipurpose military helicopters manufactured by Eurocopter Group (now Airbus Helicopters). Based on the AS350 Ecureuil and AS355 Ecureuil 2 ...

s and

Bell UH-1H The Bell UH-1 Iroquois (nicknamed "Huey") is a utility military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace company Bell Helicopter. It is the first member of the prolific Huey family, as well as the first turbine-powered helico ...

s, which are currently stored in reserve. Recently added to the base are the Boeing AH-64D Longbow Apache attack helicopters. The Flying squadrons are: * 120 Squadron with 20 AH-64D Longbow Apaches; *123 Squadron with 6 S-70B Seahawks, these are owned and operated by the Republic of Singapore navy but flown by RSAF pilots; *124 Squadron with 5 EC120 Colibri, headquartered at SBAB with a training detachment at Seletar Airport; * 125 Squadron with 22 AS332M Super Puma, four of these are configured for

Search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...

duties; * 126 Squadron with 12 AS532UL/AL Cougar; * 127 Squadron with 6 CH-47D and 12 CH-47SD Chinooks. The Support Squadrons are: *Aircraft Operations Engineering Squadron – 806 SQN *Aircraft Specialist Engineering Squadron – 816 SQN *Airbase Sustainment Squadron – 706 SQN *Airbase Civil Engineering Squadron – 506 SQN *Force Protection Squadron – 606 SQN *Control Squadron – 206 SQN Currently, the RSAF's

Chong Pang Camp Chong Pang Camp is located in the North of Singapore, within Sembawang Air Base and opposite Chong Pang City in Yishun New Town. The camp is operated by the Republic of Singapore Air Force The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is the a ...

with its associated Air Defence assets, is also located within the compound of the air base as well as the famous local Sembawang Hot Spring.

Photo gallery

File:RAF Sembawang entrance 1941.jpeg, Entrance of RAF Sembawang, c. 1941. File:BrewsterBuffalosMkIRAAFSingaporeOctober1941.jpg,

Mark Is being inspected by RAF personnel on 12 October 1941 at RAF Sembawang. File:RAAF21SquadronBrewsterBuffalosMalaya1941.jpg, Brewster Buffalo aircraft of No. 21 Squadron flying over RAF Sembawang. File:RSAF SBAB helicopters & staffs.jpg, The staff and personnel from Sembawang Air Base Air Logistic Squadron posing in front of the helicopters currently in RSAF service. File:RSAF AH-64D Longbow Apache.jpg, 120 Squadron AH-64D Longbow Apache on static display during RSAF Open house. File: Republic of Singapore Air Force Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma taking off from the RSS Resolution with the USS Russell on the horizon - 20040607.jpg, 125 Squadron Super Puma takes off from the flight deck of the RSS Resolution – an ''Endurance''-class LST. Visible in the foreground is the Aircraft Ship Integrated Secure and Traverse (ASIST) system. File:CH-47 Chinook (Republic of Singapore Air Force) h.jpg, 127 Squadron CH-47SD lands aboard during Exercise CARAT 2001.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * *

External links

History of RAFNaval Historical Society of Australia

{{authority control Airports in Singapore Camps and bases of the Singapore Armed Forces Heliports in Singapore Military of Singapore under British rule Republic of Singapore Air Force bases Sembawang World War II sites in Singapore