To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the National Day Parade (NDP) Mobile Column, this year’s 54th NDP will feature this crowd favourite. 171 Vehicles and assets from the Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force will be part of the 1.3 km long convoy, which takes about 15 minutes to complete its full drive-past. The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) will be represented in the mobile column by three assets: MPSTAR (Mounted-Portable Search and Target Acquisition Radar), SPYDER (Surface-to-air PYthon-5 and DERby) GBAD (Ground-Based Air Defence) system, and making its debut appearance, the Aster-30 GBAD system. The Aster-30 is capable of engaging multiple threats simultaneously from a range of about 70 km, compared to the I-Hawk’s 40 km. It also complements the shorter range SPYDER, and requires only a crew of three to operate compared to the SPYDER’s six.
An MPSTAR vehicle arriving at the holding area in the early morning
For the past two months, the RSAF mobile column contingent has been practising and taking part in the various rehearsals at Tuas and Padang, NE (National Education) Shows and Previews, and it all leads to the main show on Aug 9, National Day itself.
“A typical day starts at about 7 to 7:20am where we meet at the Mobile Column Village, that’s where our vehicles are parked. And we’ll prepare the vehicles, for example, doing the before operations checks. After that, the Mobile Column Committee crew will inform us to form up at the FUP (Form Up Point). Following the first rehearsal, we will dismount and we will gather for a briefing at our FUP with the rest of the GBAD packet. After that, we’ll get some rest, then we’ll mount up again, start the final rehearsal before we head back to the Mobile Column Village to end the day off.”, said Lieutenant (LTA) Leong Kit Hoe, Vehicle Commander, SPYDER System.
SPYDER vehicles at the FUP along Nicoll Highway, awaiting for turret deployment for the morning rehearsal
An airman preparing the side safety railings
Airmen checking the SPYDER’s missile turret in preparation to raising it
“Preparation for NDP was pretty hectic on top of the rehearsals, because we had to ensure the overall serviceability of the vehicles on top of preparations such as the explosive ordnance checks, loading of the missiles and ensuring the overall vehicle aesthetics. We have a small crew, so we have to work together and the overall morale of the team help us to achieve the success we have so far for the rehearsals.”
Regarding preparations required for his NDP participation, Third Warrant Officer (3WO) (NS) Ong Qi Jie, Vehicle Commander, MPSTAR System said, “Since I’m an NS (National Service) man and I have not touched the system for quite a while, so when I first did the rehearsal at Tuas, I need to check back with the active personnel on how to setup the system properly, and ensure a safe preparation. It takes four men to deploy the system – two will be on top with body harnesses, and two will be below assisting with the equipment to bring up to the top.”
Four airmen are required to mount the MPSTAR radar
Airmen checking to ensure that the radar is mounted securely
Antennaes being fitted onto the vehicle rear mounts
Reflecting on what the Mobile Column represents, he said, “The Mobile Column is to showcase the assets that the RSAF and SAF has as a whole, our capability and our military. I feel honoured, and it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. My most memorable experience will be the camaraderie forged with the active and NS personnel.”
Second Warrant Officer (2WO) Michael Eu, Vehicle Commander, Aster-30 System, said, “The Aster-30 is making its first public appearance in this year’s National Day Parade 2019. The preparation started in late April, and we first started our rehearsal in Chong Pang Camp, then after that we moved on to Tuas and subsequently to the Padang. My team will consist of five men – an escort OUV (Ops Utility Vehicle) with two men, and the actual vehicle with three men.” As for the wait time between the first rehearsal at noon and the evening run, he said, “I think the wait time is necessary because it give our guys time to rest as we’ve been here early in the morning and we go back late at night.”
The Aster-30 cab windscreen is cleaned to maintain the vehicle aesthetics
Tyres are cleaned and blackened thoroughly as part of the preparation checks
Airmen preparing to carry out component checks on the Aster-30 system
The Aster-30 launcher system is checked prior to moving out for the noon rehearsal
“One of the challenges we faced is how we balance the rehearsals and our daily operational commitment. The rehearsal is long and sometimes on weekdays, we have to be involved in our internal rehearsal. Time management is one important factor, so we have to ensure that everything goes seamlessly and safely. ”
On anything special or interesting that he would like people to know about the Mobile Column, 2WO Michael said, “I like others to know that, even though the Mobile Column is just a 15-minute show, it requires a lot of preparation and hard work behind the scenes, so that we can produce a smooth and seamless performance for the audience.”
The Aster-30 and MPSTAR vehicles await to move out to the FUP along Nicoll Highway
2WO Michael Eu briefs the drivers and provide any last minute updates for the day
The RSAF mobile column team debriefs after the first run, and irons out any issues before they break and rest in preparation for the evening run
Headlights are switched on in preparation for the evening run
The Aster-30 finally makes its public debut at the first NE Show
Mission success! The RSAF assets move back to the holding area after their run, and will return back to camp at about 11pm, ending a long day for the airmen.