Pirates on the Horizon

The first four of 10 Republic of Singapore Air Force F-15SG fighters arrived at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, May 6, where they will be used to train Singaporean pilots under a new USAF-RSAF unit being established at the base. On May 18, Mountain Home’s 366th Fighter Wing, in conjunction with the RSAF, will activate the 428th Fighter Squadron, which will be known as the “Buccaneers.” “The base is very excited to work with the RSAF because this partnership provides important combat readiness training for our Singapore partners, and fulfills the need to train as a team in a multi-national force structure,” said Lt. Col. Keith Gibson, the training squadron’s US commander. Under a letter of agreement between the US and Singapore, the F-15SGs will fly out of Mountain Home for at least 20 years. As many as 2,000 active duty RSAF personnel will live and work on the base over the life of the training program. The first Singaporean personnel arrived with their families at Mountain Home last September. (Mountain Home report by SSgt. Brian Stives)