The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) invited us to Lim Chu Kang Road on the western side of the island this morning to witness how it convert the 2.4 km long road into an alternate runway for its fighter aircraft to land and take off.
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By Alert5 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
A total of 110 personnel, half of them being reservists, were mobilized for this exercise, code-named Exercise Torrent, over a period of five days.
Working with other government agencies such as the Land Transport Authority and National Parks, the airmen had to quickly remove 153 lamp posts, 14 sets of traffic lights, 58 signages, 12 bus shelters and 1.2 km of motor railings.
Once completed, the road is then swept clean of debris so that 4 F-15SGs, 4 F-16Cs and 4 F-16D+s can take off and land on this 24 meter wide road on Nov. 12 and 13. Base officials disclosed that the two taxiways at the adjacent Tengah Air Base are re-tasked as runways during the exercise too. Giving the air base three extra sets of runways in the process.
By Alert5 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
For the first time in this exercise, the Mobile Aircraft Arresting System (MAAS) will be utilized to stop a F-16C during a simulated emergency landing. This is probably the first time this system is being tested on a road runway as well.
This system had been deployed for the Torrent-series of exercises previously too. Each system consists of a pair of mobile units on either side of the runway. The concept of operation is similar to the arresting gear on an aircraft carrier. A total of two systems are deployed at each end of the runway.
Each unit is secured firmly to the ground using 31 metal stakes and the photo below shows airmen from the 505 Air Base Civil Engineering Squadron testing the braking power of the MAAS by pulling the nylon tape with a tug master.
By Alert5 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
By Alert5 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
And if you are curios on how the 31 stakes are removed at the end of the exercise, here is an exclusive photo showing how the extractor unit actually lifts the stake from the ground by extending itself vertically using hydraulic power.
By Alert5 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
And to ensure that the pilots can easily identify the runway high up in the air, 48 solar powered airfield lights are installed along the 2.5 km stretch. Each unit, which emits white light, can be activated via wireless signal. The vehicle is equipped with a special odometer to measure the distance so that the lights can be spaced out evenly. The lights can also be recharged with the aid of a solar panel affixed to the vehicle’s roof.
By Alert5 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Thru out the entire exercise, personnel from the 605 Force Protection Squadron will be working tirelessly to provide security around the perimeter of the runway.
By Alert5 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons