THE Republic of Singapore Air Force’s (RSAF) latest fighter, the twin-engine F-15SG, is the largest combat aircraft operated by the RSAF. And when it comes to flying a state-of-the-art fighter, size does matter apparently.
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Lieutenant-Colonel Lim Chee Meng, the RSAF’s F-15 detachment commander, has already flown the F-15E — on which the F-15SG is based — at the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina. He has piloted the RSAF’s current combat aircraft — the F-16 and F-5 — which are much smaller. And, he says, the F-15SG size makes it a different beast to fly.
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“Partly as a result of its size, it takes a bit more finesse to handle the plane at its maximum performance. As the aircraft is heavier and has a heavier weapons load, aircrew may need to take a bit more time to become accustomed to the characteristics of the aircraft.”
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Key to the F-15SG’s capabilities is its suite of state-of-the-art sensors and radar.
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These include the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System, which allows the aircrew to identify air and ground targets by merely looking at them.
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“The aircraft is highly automated and has a good integration of sensors and instrumentation that will allow the aircrew to make decisions better and faster,” the 21-year-veteran of the RSAF said.
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The F-15SG is so advanced and powerful that only the select of Singapore’s most experienced pilots and weapons systems officers will form the aircraft’s core aircrew.
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They are currently undergoing training at Seymour Johnson airbase, but an advanced team of support personnel is already making preparations at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, where Singapore’s F-15SG detachment will be based.
