The Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) member nations will participate in a mixed force flypast and naval display over and in the waters off Marina South, Singapore, on October 18 to celebrate 50 years of the defence pact.
Coming at the conclusion of Exercise Bersama Gold 2021, the event will feature assets from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia and the UK. The aerial component comprises three profiles, the first seeing a formation of Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) aircraft including three Lockheed Martin Block 52/52+ F-16C/Ds and three Boeing F-15SGs in a delta formation.
A combined forces flypast of FPDA members will make up the second profile and feature fighter aircraft, maritime patrol aircraft and helicopters, and see a fixed-wing formation made up of a single F-15SG and single F-16C/D of the RSAF, two Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets from the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and two Sukhoi SU-30MKMs Flanker-Hs from the Royal Malaysian Air Force.
A Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Lockheed P-3K2 Orion will be the last fixed-wing asset in trail of the formation. Profile two will also have a rotary presence of two RSAF Sikorsky S-70B Seahawks and a Kaman SH-2G(I) Seasprite from the RNZAF.
The final profile will be an aerial salute performed by three RSAF F-16C/Ds and three F-15SGSs of the RSAF perform a ‘bomb burst’ manouevre as a salute to the FPDA nations and their 50-year partnership.
A display of naval vessels will be led by the Royal Australian Navy landing helicopter dock HMAS Canberra (L02), following by the Royal Malaysian Navy frigate KD Lekiu (FFG 30), the Royal New Zealand Navy sustainment vessel HMNZS Aotearoa (A11), the Republic of Singapore Navy frigate RSS Steadfast (70) and the UK Royal Navy air defence destroyer HMS Diamond (D34).
