Singapore will offer one of the RSAF's A330 multi-role tanker and transporter (A330-MRTT) aircraft to aid the ongoing evacuation efforts at Kabul airport in Afghanistan, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said at a press conference with U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris on Aug. 23.
Hamid Karzai International airport has been a scene of chaos since Afghanistan's capital city of Kabul fell to the Taliban on Aug. 15, with at least 20 people having died in and around the airport, a NATO official said, according to Reuters.
The U.S. and other countries have been attempting to evacuate their citizens from the airport while Afghans fear a return of the Taliban's harsh rule have also attempted to board flights.
In response, Harris thanked PM Lee for the "very generous offer" in assisting the evacuation, and said that the U.S. looked forward to following up on discussions about the matter.
What are the A330-MRTT's capabilities?
According to Mindef, the A330-MRTT can carry 245,000 lbs (111,000 kg) of fuel for its own use or to offload to a receiving aircraft.
It can also carry up to 82,000 lbs (37,000 kg) of cargo or 266 personnel.
This flexibility allows the aircraft to be configured for a variety of airlift missions.
PM Lee: Singapore not unfamiliar with Afghanistan
When further asked about the situation in Afghanistan, PM Lee highlighted that the priority in "everybody's minds" was the safety and security of civilians.
He added that Singapore was not unfamiliar with the challenges in Afghanistan, given that the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) had deployed personnel there before, in support of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), an international military mission deployed under the authority of the UN Security Council.
In addition, Singapore also sent provincial reconstruction teams to support the Afghan people in their reconstruction of the country.
PM Lee explained:
"We did so because Afghanistan was a key battlefront in the global fight against extremist terrorism.
Extremist ideas and capabilities were exported from there all over our region and they pose a security threat to Singapore too. The Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) group, for example, had direct links to al Qaeda in Afghanistan."
PM Lee: Biden administration "inherited an extremely difficult situation"
PM Lee also pointed out that the current U.S. administration under Joe Biden had "inherited an extremely difficult situation."
He said:
"The U.S. had invested considerable blood and treasure in Afghanistan. But it was an intractable task given the complex history, geography, and tribal rivalries, of the place.
Successive U.S. presidents have declared their resolve to withdraw from Afghanistan. So I told the Vice-President, that we understand President Biden's reasons for his decision."
He added that Singapore was grateful for the U.S. intervention which had stopped terror groups from using Afghanistan as a safe base for 20 years, and expressed his hope that the country would not become an epicentre for terrorism once more.
As such, what currently matters is how the U.S. repositions itself in the Asia-Pacific region, engages with it, and continues the fight against terrorism.
This will determine the perceptions of countries that are part of U.S. priorities, along with perceptions of U.S. strategic intentions, he said.
Harris: "Singularly focused" on evacuation effort
As for Harris, she said that the U.S. was "singularly focused" on the ongoing evacuation of American citizens from Afghanistans, along with vulnerable Afghans, including women and children, and those who had worked for the Americans.
She added that the U.S. had a priority in making sure that those who had helped America were safe.
Harris acknowledged that the images of the evacuation were distressing and highlighted that Biden himself had expressed sadness.
"But we cannot be distracted in any way from what must be our primary mission right now, which is evacuating people from that region, who deserve to be evacuated," she said.
Top screenshot from RSAF Facebook