PUBLISHED ONMay 13, 2026 8:05 AMUPDATEDMay 13, 2026 3:56 PMBYSean LerIf you were in vicinity of the National University of Singapore (NUS) or the National University Hospital (NUH) on Wednesday (May 13) morning and saw a Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) helicopter landing at NUS' multi-purpose field, don't worry —no one was injured.
The RSAF CH-47 Chinook helicopter's landing was part of a medical evacuation exercise involving the air force, NUH and NUS.
Earlier on May 7, campus authorities, in an email seen by AsiaOne, had informed students of the "controlled helicopter test landing".
"This exercise is part of the efforts to validate ground safety measures and procedures to support time-critical medical evacuations to NUH," campus authorities explained in their email.
The helicopter came into view just after 10am, and landed uneventfully — amidst heavy rain — at about 10.05am
An aviation medical officer was seen directing the crew and the "patient" they were carrying towards an end of the field where medical staff from NUH were already waiting.
There, the simulated casualty was transferred from the crew's stretcher to a hospital gurney and the case was handed over to the NUH medical team.
By then, the rain had grown heavier but both the aviation medical team and the hospital's medical team appeared undeterred and continued about their respective tasks.
The Chinook helicopter safely departed the area at about 10.20am.
In a social media post at about 3pm, the RSAF said the exercise provided an opportunity for the RSAF, NUS and NUH to strengthen inter-agency coordination, while enhancing readiness for casualty evacuation and patient transfer operations.
@asiaone The medical evacuation drill, between the Republic of Singapore Air Force, National University of Singapore and the National University Hospital, was held on Wednesday (May 13) morning. 🎵: Helikopter by Fazlija and MAXAM #sgnews #Singapore #AirForce #Helicopter #Hospital ♬ original sound - AsiaOne
Both the RSAF's H225M and CH-47F helicopters are capable of medical evacuation missions, with the latter having a longer range capability.
The helicopters achieved full operational capability in April 2024.
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Additional reporting by Darren Wong
