Singapore’s Minister of Defence Ng Eng Hen said in a Facebook post yesterday (28 August) that the RSAF’s A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (A330-MRTT), that was helping with evacuating efforts in Afghanistan, has succeeded in landing in Germany.
149 people were successfully evacuated from Afghanistan to Germany.
Ng said:
“Waiting anxiously for The Republic of Singapore Air Force’s Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar yesterday were 149 evacuees from Afghanistan. As they boarded and took to the skies, their relief was palpable. The evacuees have since landed in Germany, with renewed hope for their lives ahead.
For our SAF men and women on the ground, each person or family successfully transported brings immense satisfaction and meaning to their mission. At the same time, the abiding truth that “without security, there can be no progress or stability” hammers home, after seeing the events unfurl in Afghanistan.”
MINDEF also said on 26 August that Singapore would be sending 77 personnel on the mission to render assistance.
“The United States (US) Government has accepted Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s offer of assistance conveyed during US Vice President Kamala Harris’s visit to Singapore earlier this week, for a Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (A330 MRTT) aircraft to assist in the evacuation of Afghanistan evacuees. The A330 MRTT will be deployed to transport evacuees currently relocated in Qatar to Germany or other receiving countries.
A total of 77 SAF personnel, comprising pilots, aircrew, engineers and Singapore Army security personnel, will be involved in this humanitarian mission.
Ng added:
“The urgent need is to protect evacuees and other civilians, and Singapore is making a direct contribution to this humanitarian cause. We cannot imagine the fear and terror that these displaced people are facing, arising from the situation in Afghanistan. But we take some comfort that the SAF, through this mission, can play a part in providing for a more secure and safe future for some displaced families and individuals”.
Images source: Ng Eng Hen Facebook and MINDEF