Sembawang Air Base (HMS Simbang)

Sembawang Air Base is a military installation located in Sembawang, in the northern part of Singapore. The British Air Ministry acquired the site in 1934 to establish an airfield for the Royal Air Force, with construction commencing in 1937. By 1940, the facility was transferred to the Royal Australian Air Force. During World War II, the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service captured and operated the airfield from 1942 until the Japanese surrender in 1945. Following the war, it reverted to British control and was commissioned by the Royal Navy as HMS Nabrock, and later HMS Simbang. The base supported British military operations during the Malayan Emergency, the Brunei Revolt, and the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation. In 1971, following the withdrawal of UK forces, the facility was transferred to the Singapore Air Defence Command and renamed Sembawang Air Base. It transitioned into a fully operational rotary-wing installation in 1983.

The installation is operated by the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and houses all RSAF helicopter squadrons. Operations are conducted in support of the Singapore Army and the Republic of Singapore Navy. The base hosts multiple flying units, including 120 Squadron operating AH-64D Longbow Apaches, 124 Squadron flying EC120 Colibri helicopters, and 125 Squadron equipped with AS332M Super Pumas and Airbus H225s, with a subset of aircraft configured for search and rescue. Additionally, 126 and 127 Squadrons operate CH-47D and CH-47SD Chinooks. The base also accommodates 123 Squadron, which flies S-70B Seahawks owned by the Republic of Singapore Navy but operated by RSAF pilots. Eurocopter Fennec and Bell UH-1H helicopters are kept in reserve storage at the facility.

Support operations are managed by several dedicated units, including the 206 Control Squadron, 506 Airbase Civil Engineering Squadron, 606 Force Protection Squadron, and 706 Airbase Sustainment Squadron, alongside the 806 and 816 Aircraft Engineering Squadrons. The base compound also contains Chong Pang Camp and its associated air defence assets.