RSAF scrambles F-16 fighter jets after Malaysian chopper flies near Changi Airport

Two F-16 fighter jets from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) were scrambled on Wednesday afternoon at around 12:40pm in response to a Malaysia-registered helicopter that flew over the Singapore Strait east of Changi Airport.

The two jets were subsequently stood down after "ensuring that our security was not compromised", said RSAF in a Facebook post today. 

"Preliminary checks indicate that the helicopter is of a civilian type and registered to a foreign company," RSAF added. 

"A big thank you to our air and ground crew who are ever-ready to defend our skies. Salute!"

Checks on FlightRadar24 by The Straits Times showed that the Airbus H125 helicopter took off from the Johor Bahru Senai International Airport around 12.10pm and flew east above Peninsula Malaysia towards Johor Bahru and Ulu Tiram. 

At 12.28pm, the aircraft turned south towards Pengerang, and continued on this bearing until it was over waters to the east of Changi Airport at around 12.40pm.

The helicopter circled the area for about 20 minutes before it headed north-east. It then landed near the Bayu Damai Police Station in Johor, according to flight tracking site FlightAware.

Operations at Changi Airport were also affected for about 40 minutes, between 12.50pm and 1.28pm, reported CNA. 

The Ministry of Defence had previously said that on average, RSAF fighter aircraft are deployed to investigate and deal with 350 potential air threats each year.

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desmondng@asiaone.com

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