More pictures of the RSAF participation in Exercise Wallaby 2013

Air movements involving Singaporean warplanes and military helicopters at Rockhampton Airport in Australia's Queensland state give observers a hint of the intensity of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) war games now on in Shoalwater Bay Training Area.

Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) assets ranging from F-16 multi-role combat aircraft to Chinook heavy-lift helicopters have made the short hop from Rockhampton to SWBTA to take part in SAF manoeuvres, codenamed Exercise Wallaby, in the vast Australian Defence Force training ground, which covers an area some four times bigger than Singapore.

The umbrella term "Exercise Wallaby" is made up of several exercises with different names, held under different phases or Frames of the SAF manoeuvres.

Australian plane spotter Ben O'Dowd brings us these stunning pictures from Rockhampton. More of his work can be found on the Central Queensland Plane Spotting site here.

Boeing Chinook CH-47 heavy-lift helicopters from the RSAF's 127 Squadron pair up for a mission over SWBTA. The Chinooks are integral to SAF airmobile operations involving Singapore Army Guards units of heliborne infantry. 

With her warpaint helping to blend her into the Australian outback scenary, RSAF Lockheed C-130H Hercules "735" from 122 Squadron is seen hard at work at Rockhampton. Two 122 SQN Hercules medium-left airlifters are now deployed to support Exercise Wallaby and are thought to perform missions such as aerial resupply and insertion of combat forces.

A Boeing AH-64D Apache attack helicopter, one of five from RSAF 120 Squadron now deployed to Rockhampton, carries an interesting title on her nose and a scarlet fin flash which provides a dash of contrast to her warpaint. These RSAF AHs provide aerial fire support to SAF Manoeuvre Forces, using their superior speed and mobility compared to ground forces to protect the vanguard and flanks of Singapore Army units. 

The Lockheed F-16C Fighting Falcon "611" from 140 Squadron is one of two single-seat multi-role warplanes now basking in the Queensland sunshine. The other F-16C is from RSAF 143 SQN. The outsized "2" on 611's vertical stabiliser is a non standard marking, as is the inscription in red ink abaft the cockpit. The markings are leftover from the RSAF's squadron-wide mission readiness competition, Top Ace, which was held at Tengah Air Base from 28 January to 1 February this year.

A pair of two-seat F-16D Fighting Falcons from RSAF 140 Squadron prepare for take-off from Rockhampton Airport. The F-16C/D fighters returned to Rockhampton this year after a three-year absence, rewarding patient Australian plane spotters with wonderful views of these warplanes as they launched/recovered at Rocky. The pictures should get more interesting if and when live munitions are flown during the exercise.

With her "six" covered by an opportunistic AH-64D Apache attack helicopter from 120 Squadron, an F-16D graces the Rockhampton runway to the delight of Australian plane spotters. 


P.S. Where are the Super Puma and Cougar medium-lift helicopters?