AIR COMBAT COMMAND GETS NEW COMMANDER

BG Lim Yeong Kiat took over the reins of the Air Combat Command (ACC) from BG Richard Christopher Pereira, at a change of command parade held at Changi Air Base on 4 Jul, witnessed by Chief of Air Force Major-General Ng Chee Meng.

A fighter pilot by training, new commander BG Lim has held various command and staff appointments since joining the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) in 1984. These include Commanding Officer (CO) 140 Squadron (SQN) which he led to win the Best Fighter Squadron award in 2002; a branch head in Air Plans Department (APD); as well as Deputy Commander and, subsequently, Commander of Changi Air Base.

BG Pereira, who joined the RSAF as a pilot and flew the A4 Skyhawk in the 1980s, has close to 30 years of service in his Air Force career. Previously, as Commander of the Tactical Air Support Command, he led a team of personnel from the Army, Navy and Air Force to plan and stand up the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Command. He later did the same for the ACC and became its commander in November 2007. Other appointments he has held include CO 145 SQN and a branch head in APD.

The outgoing commander credited his achievements to the "many passionate people...who, over the years, contributed much of their time, energy and ideas to the cause of furthering the mission effectiveness of the RSAF and the Singapore Armed Forces".