S’pore Scrambles F-16 Jets, Halts Changi Airport Operations After M’sian Helicopter Enters Airspace

Singapore celebrated its National Day yesterday (9 August) but the festivities were halted slightly after the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) detected a foreign aircraft entering its airspace illegally in the afternoon.

The incident was also spotted by the Alert5 Twitter account, which is well-known for sharing flight paths of military aircraft around the globe.

Singapore scramble F-16 fighters on its 58th birthday after this Malaysian-registered helicopter flew into airspace off Changi airport. pic.twitter.com/GnYFu6n9HZ

— Alert 5 (@alert5) August 9, 2023

In a Twitter post, Alert5 shared that RSAF had scrambled F-16 fighter jets yesterday afternoon after a Malaysian-registered helicopter flew into the airspace off Changi Airport.

Furthermore, the Twitter account also claimed that international flights into Singapore were temporarily disrupted as a result of the incident.

International flights into Singapore were disrupted. pic.twitter.com/iynHIGGbVp

— Alert 5 (@alert5) August 9, 2023

The scrambling of the fighter jets and halting of Changi Airport yesterday has since been confirmed by the country’s Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and Civil Aviation Authority (CAAS).

According to CNA, MINDEF and CAAS said that the F-16 jets were deployed at about 12.40pm yesterday and were subsequently stood down after ensuring that the nation’s security was not compromised.

They added,

“Preliminary checks indicate that the helicopter is of a civilian type and registered to a foreign company.”

For illustration purposes

Moreover, they confirmed that operations at Changi Airport were affected for about 40 minutes between 12.50pm and 1.28pm. As a result, 9 arrival flights and 11 departure flights experienced delays.

Defence journalist Roy Choo said that the F-16 jets were scrambled from Tengah Airbase and that the Malaysia-registered aircraft in question was a civilian AS350 or Squirrel helicopter.

So, what do you guys think of the whole incident? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

Also read: PIA Aircraft Allegedly Seized at KLIA Over Unpaid Lease Dues of RM18.4M to M’sian Company