In Pics: Singapore Defence Minister flies on Indian fighter plane Tejas

Dr Ng Eng Hen visited the Republic of Singapore Air Force-Indian Air Force Joint Military Training at Kalaikunda Air Force Station in Kolkata. Photos courtesy: Indian Ministry of Defence
Dr Ng Eng Hen visited the Republic of Singapore Air Force-Indian Air Force Joint Military Training at Kalaikunda Air Force Station in Kolkata. Photos courtesy: Indian Ministry of Defence

Singapore's Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen today flew India's indigenously built light combat aircraft Tejas at Kalaikunda airbase and called it "a very good plane."

"Privileged to be flown on the Tejas, India's own designed and manufactured fighter aircraft. A very good plane," Dr Ng wrote on his Twitter handle after the sortie in the two-seater fighter jet.Dr Eng arrived yesterday in India to hold the second Singapore-India Defence Ministers’ Dialogue (DMD) with his counterpart Indian Minster of Defence Nirmala Sitharaman and to visit the bilateral Air Force exercise at Kalaikunda Air Force Station, near Kolkata.

Singapore's Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen takes a selfie in the cockpit of the Tejas aircraft.
Singapore's Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen takes a selfie in the cockpit of the Tejas aircraft. Photos courtesy: Indian Ministry of Defence

Dr Ng visited the Republic of Singapore Air Force-Indian Air Force Joint Military Training at Kalaikunda Air Force Station in Kolkata.

Later in the day, he also delivered a lecture on the topic ‘Defence Relations between Singapore and India in an Evolving Indo-Pacific Security Landscape’ at the Brookings Institution India Centre. Tomorrow, Dr Ng will meet Indian Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and co-chair the second India-Singapore Defence Ministers’ Dialogue. The Dialogue is a key initiative from the revised Defence Cooperation Agreement signed in November 2015.

Dr Ng is accompanied by Chief of Navy Rear-Admiral Lew Chuen Hong and other MINDEF-SAF officials.