RSAF INAUGURATES PARTICIPATION COMMAND
1. Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General Desmond Kuek officiated at the inauguration of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)'s Participation Command at Sembawang Air Base (SBAB) this afternoon. Participation Command is the third RSAF Command to be stood up, out of the five operational Commands that have been planned as part of the re-organisation of the RSAF.
2. Under the new RSAF structure, Participation Command will work closely with Army and Navy units to bring greater focus to the use of air power in support of land and maritime operations. Participation Command will raise, train and sustain the individual components of air participation operations such as helicopters and divisional air defence so as to achieve a high level of integration in air-land and air-sea operations. More importantly, by bringing these components and competencies together under a single command, Participation Command will be responsible for the operational-level development of air participation capabilities to enhance task efficiency and effectiveness. Through Participation Command , the SAF will reap synergies across the combat elements that support participation operations, thereby delivering integrated and effective air power solutions in support of land and maritime campaigns.
3. Participation Command comprises the Operations Development Group (ODG), the Helicopter Group (HeliG), the Tactical Air Support Group (TASG), and the Divisional Air Defence Group (DAG).
4.The inauguration of the Participation Command marks another key milestone in the transformation of the RSAF and underscores the priority placed on integrated operations in the 3rd Generation SAF.
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PARTICIPATION COMMAND FACT SHEET
INTRODUCTION
1. Among advanced military forces, there is a growing need for integrated solutions to the multi-faceted challenges that can arise in today's complex battlefield. Even in peacetime operations like peace support and disaster relief, there has been an impetus for the SAF to engage in integrated operations. Recognising this trend, the RSAF's restructuring effort included the setting up of the Participation Command (PC) as a dedicated Command that focuses on providing integrated air power solutions for the land and maritime campaigns. PC is the third RSAF Command out of a total of five Commands to be inaugurated as part of the restructured 3rd Generation Air Force1.
ROLES
2. Participation Command will oversee and ensure the development and operational readiness of the RSAF's helicopters, divisional ground-based air defence systems and tactical air support agencies as these are the air elements that work most closely with Army and Navy units. Participation Command will bring together both its own organic assets as well as fighters, transports and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles from the other RSAF Commands to support the land and maritime missions.
ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
3. Participation Command consists of the Operational Development Group (ODG), Helicopter Group (HeliG), Tactical Air Support Group (TASG) and Divisional Air Defence Group (DAG). The broad organizational structure of Participation Command is illustrated in Figure 1.
4. The main groups within Participation Command are highlighted below:
a. Operations Development Group (ODG). ODG's key function is to develop plans for peacetime operations and task-level RSAF competencies in land and maritime operations that will better meet the operational requirements of the Army and Navy.
b. Helicopter Group (HeliG). HeliG will raise, train and sustain the helicopter force as well as maintain high standards of competencies required for the success of various types of helicopter missions.
c. Tactical Air Support Group (TASG). TASG will raise, train and sustain tactical level airpower integrators, such as the Air-Land Command and Control centres and the Division battle staff in Division Tactical Air Command Post (DTACP) to facilitate the integration of land and maritime operations.
d. Divisional Air Defence Group (DAG). DAG will transit from ADOC to PC to ensure greater integration between Divisional Ground Based Air Defence (GBAD) and the Army. The DAG's key function is to ensure the operational readiness and competencies of its subordinate ground-based air defence and control units. The group will also drive the development of tactical doctrine in air defence operations in support of the Army Divisions.
Footnote 1: The first two Commands that have been inaugurated are the Air Defence Operations Command (ADOC) and the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Command (UC). The remaining two Commands, the Air Combat Command (ACC) and the Air Power Generation Command (APGC), will be inaugurated later in 2008 after the inauguration of Participation Command .
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