SINGAPORE \u2013 Visitors to the revamped Singapore Air Force Museum can now experience the thrill of scrambling in a fighter jet to intercept an unidentified aircraft, as part of a major refresh aimed at bringing the air force\u2019s story to life.<\/p>\n
The museum, located beside Paya Lebar Air Base, reopened on June 16 after being closed for renovation since November.<\/p>\n
New features include immersive technology and augmented reality experiences, as well as an expanded collection of artefacts tracing the Republic of Singapore Air Force\u2019s (RSAF) development over the decades.<\/p>\n
The Defence Collective Singapore (DCS), which manages the museum, said in a statement that the reopening marks a \u201crenewed commitment to education and engagement, with programmes and tours tailored for students, families and aviation enthusiasts\u201d.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the reopening, Senior Minister of State for Defence Zaqy Mohamad said the museum showcases the full arc of the RSAF\u2019s journey \u2013 from its beginnings with borrowed aircraft to the advanced force it is today.<\/p>\n
He noted that the RSAF\u2019s role extends beyond defending Singapore\u2019s skies, pointing to its contributions to humanitarian and disaster relief missions.<\/p>\n
The renovated museum also brings to life the wide-ranging RSAF vocations through a uniform showcase and interviews with personnel over the years, which he said is \u201cespecially valuable for students, inspiring them to explore opportunities to serve\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur nation\u2019s security depends on all of us understanding what is at stake and playing our part in a meaningful way. This museum plays a vital role in fostering that understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n
The renovation of the museum, which opened in Changi in 1988 and moved to Paya Lebar in 2001, is its first revamp since 2015.<\/p>\n
One of the new centrepieces is an immersive theatre featuring a five-minute film titled Homeward, which simulates the RSAF\u2019s response to an unidentified aircraft entering Singapore airspace.<\/p>\n
Visitors experience the scenario from the perspective of a fighter pilot pursuing the aircraft through the skies, with vibrating seats and flashing lights adding to the realism.<\/p>\n
Hairani Joshi, director of curatorial and collections at the DCS, told ST that developing the film was an arduous process that involved speaking to various personnel to hear what their work entailed.<\/p>\n
Visitors can also access additional information about the exhibits, including retired RSAF aircraft such as the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk and Hawker Hunter F.74S, through touch screens.<\/p>\n
Another highlight is the addition of artefacts such as a wooden propellor from a drone that was damaged in an exercise in Sweden in 1980.<\/p>\n
Through the new exhibits, the museum hopes to attract students from post-secondary education institutions, who may not have excursions organised to the museum like with younger children.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why we try to make our programmes also quite attractive to them, and that\u2019s one of the reasons for these more interactive, more immersive offerings,\u201d said Joshi.<\/p>\n
During the school holidays, the museum will offer activities for young visitors from June 17 to 28. These include an RSAF-related personality quiz.<\/p>\n
DCS chief executive Joseph Tan told the media that in the past few years, the museum had received between 50,000 and 60,000 visitors annually. The organisation hopes to see an increase of about 30 per cent following the renovation.<\/p>\n Senior Minister of State for Defence Zaqy Mohamad trying out the F-15 pilot game, one of the Singapore Air Force Museum\u2019s new interactive experiences, on June 16.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n With Paya Lebar Air Base due to relocate after 2030, Tan said DCS is holding talks with various stakeholders, including the Urban Redevelopment Authority and the Ministry of Defence, on the museum\u2019s future location.<\/p>\n There are various options including remaining at its current site, said Tan, adding that DCS hopes the museum can stay in a location that is easily accessible to the public.<\/p>\n The uncertain future of the museum prompted the DCS, who took over its operations from the RSAF in 2024, to move quickly to initiate the revamp so that it could have a longer runway, said Tan.<\/p>\n Among those who were involved in the revamp was RSAF veteran Goh Yong Kiat, 67.<\/p>\n He joined the air force in 1979 as an aircraft technician and his last appointment was commanding officer of the air logistics squadron at the Paya Lebar and Tengah Air bases, before his retirement in 2002.<\/p>\n The new immersive theatre experience, featuring the film Homeward, at Singapore Air Force Museum on June 16.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n His personal interest in tracking the development of the air force led to his involvement in the museum\u2019s move to Paya Lebar and the last revamp in 2015.<\/p>\n In the latest renovation, he was involved in ensuring the accuracy, authenticity and clarity of the information and messaging.<\/p>\n Goh, who currently works in a defence related company, said it is beneficial for veterans to reconnect with memories as well as for active personnel to instil a strong sense of belonging and pride.<\/p>\n \u201c(It is also for) the public…to identify and recognise the air force story as part of the national story, and also to showcase to foreigners our very deep commitment to defence,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n RSAF veteran Goh Yong Kiat\u2019s personal interest in tracking the development of the air force led to his involvement in the museum\u2019s move to Paya Lebar and the last revamp in 2015.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Although the museum is usually closed on Wednesdays, it will open its doors to the public on June 17.<\/p>\n Visiting hours are from 10am to 5pm and entry is free for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents. For foreigners, tickets cost $8 for adults and $5 for children.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n SINGAPORE \u2013 Visitors to the revamped Singapore Air Force Museum can now experience the thrill of scrambling in a fighter jet to intercept an unidentified…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":61272,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2611],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-61271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buzz-headlines","wpcat-2611-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61271","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=61271"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61271\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/61272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=61271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=61271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=61271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/picture><\/div>
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