The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston, has made an official visit to Singapore with whom the United Kingdom enjoys a positive, deep and enduring relationship. Both nations are members of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) alongside Australia, Malaysia and New Zealand, and share a number of common security interests.
The RAF has close ties with the Republic of Singapore Air Force and Air Chief Marshal Wigston had a meeting with Major-General Kelvin Khong, the Chief of Air Force, with whom he discussed a strengthened bilateral relationship, cooperation on F-35B Lightning and achieving sustainability ambitions.
The visit also coincided with that of HMS Queen Elizabeth and the Air Chief Marshal met the Commanding Officer of 617 Squadron and RAF personnel aboard the aircraft carrier. In addition to 617 Squadron who operate the F-35B Lightning, the Carrier Strike Group 21 deployment also includes a number of RAF personnel serving on the ship in a variety of roles.
The Chief of the Air Staff also paid his respects at the Kranji Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery, the final resting place of Commonwealth land and air forces who died in Southeast Asia in both World Wars. He laid a wreath at the Singapore War Memorial which bears the names of over 24,000 casualties of the Commonwealth forces who have no known grave; a separate wreath was laid at Wing Commander Eric James Brindley Nicolson’s inscription who was awarded the only Victoria Cross for the Battle of Britain.