Air Chief Marshal Punpakdee Pattanakul reaffirms commitment to bolster bilateral defense ties during visit to Singapore.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF), Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Punpakdee Pattanakul, commenced his introductory visit to Singapore on 19 December 2023. Today, he called on Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen at the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), where both leaders reaffirmed their dedication to enhancing the longstanding defense partnership between Singapore and Thailand.
ACM Punpakdee’s visit includes a series of engagements, with an inspection of the Guard of Honour at MINDEF and a subsequent meeting with Chief of Air Force Major-General Kelvin Khong. Later in the day, ACM Punpakdee visited the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Command at Murai Camp, receiving a comprehensive briefing and exploring a Heron 1 UAV static display and the UAV simulator.
The Commander-in-Chief is scheduled to co-officiate the Opening Ceremony of Exercise Cope Tiger 2024 on 21 December alongside Major-General Kelvin Khong and Mobilization Assistant to the Commander of the Pacific Air Forces Major-General Erich C. Novak. Exercise Cope Tiger, an annual trilateral event involving the air forces of Thailand, Singapore, and the United States, focuses on enhancing interoperability and collaboration.
ACM Punpakdee’s visit underscores the robust and enduring defense ties between Singapore and Thailand. Regular interactions between the RSAF and RTAF, including high-level visits, professional exchanges, courses, and joint exercises like Exercise Cope Tiger, contribute to deepening mutual understanding and fostering stronger people-to-people connections among personnel from both air forces.
Source – MINDEF
