Our Humanitarian Heroes In The Sky: Singapore Joins Global Gaza Airdrop Effort
Singapore is once again stepping up to deliver life-saving aid – its 9th tranche of humanitarian aid for Gaza, Palestine.
At the invitation of the Jordanian government, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has deployed a C-130 transport aircraft to Jordan to conduct airdrop operations alongside other foreign air forces.
The mission: to get humanitarian aid directly to those in need in Gaza. On board are medical supplies from the Ministry of Health, and food provisions from NGOs including Humanity Matters, Caritas Humanitarian Aid and Relief Initiatives Singapore (CHARIS), Mercy Relief, and the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation (RLAF). These were all coordinated through the SAF’s Changi Regional Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Coordination Centre (Changi RHCC).
Personnel from Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation (RLAF) handing over Singapore's humanitarian aid to support relief efforts. | IMAGE: MINDEF
Personnel from the SAF's Changi Regional HADR Coordination Centre (RHCC) taking stock of humanitarian aid contributed by Non-Governmental Organisation, Humanity Matters. | IMAGE: MINDEF
Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Associate Professor Faishal Ibrahim (extreme right), engaging with RSAF aircrew, including C-130 pilot LTC C Teeneshwaran (second from left). | IMAGE: MINDEF
A total of 58 defence and military personnel are supporting this operation, including Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) C Teeneshwaran, whom we spoke to recently about his participation as the C-130 Lead in this year’s National Day Parade. The seasoned C-130 pilot, who goes by the call sign "Tiny", has spent 16 years in the cockpit of the Hercules in various RSAF Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) missions.
A united send-off
The C-130 departed from Paya Lebar Air Base, with a send-off ceremony attended by Senior Minister of State for Defence, Zaqy Mohamad; Minister of State for Defence Desmond Choo; Jordan’s Chargé d’Affaires to Singapore, Qais Biltaji; Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to Jordan, Shamsher Zaman; and Singapore’s Representative to the Palestinian Authority, Hawazi Daipi.
Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Associate Professor Faishal Ibrahim also met with representatives from the participating NGOs.
This marks the second time the RSAF C-130 has carried out airdrop operations for Gaza. Since the start of the Israel–Hamas conflict in October 2023, Singapore and Singaporeans have delivered nine tranches of humanitarian assistance for Gaza, totalling over $22 million.
Loading of Singapore's humanitarian aid for Gaza onto the RSAF's C-130. | IMAGE: MINDEF
The RSAF's C-130 departing Paya Lebar Air Base for Jordan earlier today. | IMAGE: MINDEF
About the C-130
The RSAF’s C-130 Hercules is a proven workhorse for humanitarian missions. Built for rugged conditions, it can airlift large amounts of cargo from food supplies to medical aid, and land on short or rough airstrips.
For airdrop operations, it can deliver essential relief directly into hard-to-reach or conflict-affected areas, ensuring aid gets where it’s needed most.
(Armed) force for good
The RSAF has always answered the call of duty, providing aid whenever the world needs help. Here, a timeline of some of its rescue, peacekeeping, and relief efforts:
The RSAF's first HADR operation was a Flood Relief Operation in Kuantan. | IMAGE: FACEBOOK/@THERSAF
1971: The then-Singapore Air Defence Command's first HADR mission was in Pahang, Malaysia (shown above) to transport food and medical supplies, as well as rescue survivors affected by a flood. The air force was only three years old.
1983: The RSAF saved 13 lives during the Sentosa cable car accident.
1986: Helicopters were deployed to evacuate the Hotel New World collapse casualties.
1990: In a joint Singapore-Brunei operation, the RSAF delivered relief and medical supplies to Amman, Jordan.
1993: Four Super Puma helicopters and 65 crew were sent on the RSAF’s first UN peacekeeping mission to support Cambodia’s elections sponsored by the UN.
2000: A C-130 detachment, along with three military officers and 24 crew were sent to Timor-Leste to assist in the International Force for East Timor transition to the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor.
In September 2005, the SAF deployed 4 RSAF CH-47 Chinook helicopters and 41 personnel from its Peace Prairie detachment in Grand Prairie, Texas, to assist in relief operations for Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana. | IMAGE: FACEBOOK/@THERSAF
2005: RSAF’s three CH-47 Chinook helicopters were deployed from the Peace Prairie Detachment in Texas, US (shown above), to assist in Hurricane Katrina relief operations in Louisiana.
2009: Since 2009, RSAF Super Pumas, the S-70B Naval helicopter, and Fokker-50 Maritime Patrol aircraft have been deployed to the Gulf of Aden, part of the SAF Task Group under the multinational CTF 151 to support counter-piracy efforts in the area.
2011: A C-130 transport aircraft, a KC-135 tanker aircraft, and 115 SAF personnel were deployed to provide disaster relief during the New Zealand earthquake.
2014: During the MH370 crisis, the RSAF deployed a Fokker-50 Maritime Patrol Aircraft, a C-130 transport aircraft, and a Sikorsky S-70B helicopter to search for the missing plane.
2015: A RSAF imagery analysis team and one KC-135R were sent to Iraq and Syria to support a multinational coalition effort against the Islamic State extremist threat.
In 2015, 2 RSAF C-130s headed to Nepal to assist in post-earthquake relief efforts. | IMAGE: FACEBOOK/@THERSAF
2015: Th RSAF made 11 flights into Nepal since 26 April that year during the Nepal earthquake (shown above), to transport personnel, equipment, and relief supplies, as well as evacuate 71 Singaporeans and 24 other nationals.
2017: Following a collision between an oil tanker and the US warship USS John S. McCain in Singapore waters, the RSAF deployed Super Pumas, Chinooks, Fokker-50s, and C-130s in search-and-locate efforts.
2017: Four RSAF CH-47 Chinooks and 34 RSAF personnel were deployed to Temple, Texas for Hurricane Harvey relief operations.
Survivors of the 2018 Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami boarding the RSAF's C-130. | IMAGE: FACEBOOK/@NGENGHEN
2018: Following a 7.5-magnitude earthquake and tsunami that struck Central Sulawesi on 28 Sep 2018, two RSAF C-130 transport aircraft were deployed by the SAF to support the Indonesian government's disaster relief efforts. According to MINDEF, the RSAF flew more than 90 sorties (a sortie is an operational flight by a single military aircraft), transported over 800 displaced persons out of the affected areas, and ferried about 250 tons of supplies.
2020: Two RSAF CH-47 Chinook helicopters were deployed to support bushfire relief efforts in Australia. In total, the RSAF helicopters flew over 30 sorties, transported more than 260 persons and ferried close to 73 tons of supplies.
2021: One of the RSAF's new A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft was deployed to provide humanitarian aid by assisting to airlift 149 Afghan evacuees from Qatar to Germany.
The RSAF loading Singapore’s humanitarian assistance for Gaza onto the A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT). | IMAGE: MINDEF
2023: An A330 MRTT was deployed to provide aid for civilians in Gaza, which included medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, blankets, sanitation items, water filters, and food.
2024: As part of Singapore's third tranche of humanitarian assistance to Gaza, the RSAF deployed an A330 MRTT and a C-130 transport aircraft in March to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza via Amman, Jordan. The C-130 stayed on to continue humanitarian airdrop operations staged out of Jordan, supported by the Jordanian Armed Forces.
RSAF personnel loading humanitarian aid supplies onto the aircraft in response to Typhoon Yagi. | IMAGE: MINDEF
2024: In the wake of Typhoon Yagi, which left Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam reeling from the destruction, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) deployed an A330 MRTT and two C-130 transport aircraft to deliver humanitarian aid supplies.
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