Kelvin Khong

Not to be confused with Kelvin Fan.
In this Chinese name, the family name is Khong.
Kelvin Khong

PPA(E) PPA(P) PBS
Khong in 2023
Native name
康文良
Born (1976-01-18) 18 January 1976 (age 48)
Singapore
Allegiance Singapore
Service / branch Republic of Singapore Air Force
Years of service1995–2024
RankMajor-General
CommandsChief of Air Force
Chief of Staff (Joint Staff)
Chief of Staff (Air Staff)
Commander, Air Combat Command
Head, Operational Development Group in Air Combat Command
Head, Air Operations
Head, Air Plans
Branch Head, Joint Operations Department
Commanding Officer, 149 Squadron
AwardsSee awards and decorations
Alma materImperial College London (MEng)
Air Command and Staff College (MMOAS)
International Institute for Management Development (MBA)
Spouse(s)Ho Pei Chen
Children3

Kelvin Khong Boon Leong PPA(E) PPA(P) PBS (Chinese: 康文良; pinyin: Kāng Wénliáng) is a Singaporean former major-general who served as Chief of Air Force from 2019 to 2024.[1][2]

Education

Khong was educated at Hwa Chong Junior College and attended the flight training programme at Singapore Youth Flying Club, where he was the Best Trainee in Flying upon graduation in 1995.[3]

In 1999, after being awarded the Singapore Armed Forces Overseas Scholarship, Khong graduated from Imperial College London with a Master of Engineering in aeronautical engineering.[3]

Khong also attended the Air Command and Staff College and graduated with a Master of Military Operational Art and Science degree in 2008. He subsequently completed a Master of Business Administration at the International Institute for Management Development in 2012.[4]

Military career

Khong enlisted in the Singapore Armed Forces in 1995 and served as a pilot in the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), operating the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and McDonnell Douglas F-15SG.[1][4]

During his military career, Khong has held the appointments of Commanding Officer, 149 Squadron; Branch Head, Air Operations Department; Branch Head; Joint Operations Department; Head, Air Plans; Head, Air Operations; Head, Operational Development Group in Air Combat Command; Commander, Air Combat Command; Chief of Staff (Air Staff); and Chief of Staff (Joint Staff).[4]

Khong was promoted from the rank of colonel to brigadier-general on 1 July 2015, and to the rank of major-general on 1 July 2019.[5][6]

On 22 March 2019, Khong succeeded Mervyn Tan as Chief of Air Force.[1] Under his leadership, the RSAF began the acquisition of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, achieved full operational capabilities for the A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport and the Aster 30 Ground Based Air Defence system,[2] and participated in several Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief missions, such as the bushfire and flood relief operations in Australia,[7][8] the airlift operations of Afghan evacuees from Qatar to Germany,[9][10] and the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.[11][12]

Khong stepped down on 22 March 2024, and was succeeded by Kelvin Fan.[2]

Awards and decorations

Personal life

Khong is married to Ho Pei Chen, and has two sons and a daughter.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c Ng, Charmaine (22 March 2019). "RSAF welcomes new chief, BG Kelvin Khong, with change of command parade". The Straits Times. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "Change in Chief of Air Force". MINDEF. 19 February 2024. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Treat in the sky for pilots' families". The Straits Times. 3 September 1995. p. 23. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d "Chief of Air Force". MINDEF. Archived from the original on 24 October 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Sense of purpose drives SAF's first woman General". The Straits Times. 27 June 2015. p. 9. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  6. ^ "Recognising Over 500 Personnel from MINDEF and SAF" (PDF). MINDEF. 27 June 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  7. ^ Yong, Clement (7 January 2020). "'That's exactly what neighbours are about': Australians welcome Singapore's help to fight bush fires". The Straits Times. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  8. ^ "RSAF Chinook helicopters deployed to help with firefighting, relief efforts for Australia's bushfire crisis". Today. 7 January 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  9. ^ Mahmud, Aqil Haziq (23 August 2021). "Singapore offers to help US evacuate refugees from Afghanistan using RSAF tanker-transport plane". CNA. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  10. ^ Lim, Min Zhang (10 September 2021). "RSAF's MRTT tanker aircraft ends deployment to evacuate Afghanistan refugees". The Straits Times. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  11. ^ "Singapore completes first humanitarian aid airdrop into Gaza". CNA. 21 March 2024. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  12. ^ Yeo, Mike (3 April 2024). "SAF team returns to Singapore after completion of Gaza airdrop missions". The Straits Times. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  13. ^ a b "PMO | Recipients". Prime Minister's Office Singapore. 22 November 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  14. ^ "PMO | Recipients". Prime Minister's Office Singapore. 22 November 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  15. ^ "Singapore Chief of Air Force Major-General Kelvin Khong awarded the title of "Officier de l'Ordre National du Mérite"". La France à Singapour. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  16. ^ "Australian Gazette". 8 February 2023.
  17. ^ "KSAU Anugerahi Bintang Swa Bhuwana Paksa Utama untuk CAF RSAF". indonesiadefence.com (in Indonesian). 15 March 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  18. ^ "CSAF Brown meets Singapore Maj. Gen. Khong". Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. 28 April 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  19. ^ ประกาศสำนักนายกรัฐมนตรี เรื่อง พระราชทานเครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์ให้แก่นายทหารต่างประเทศ ๑. พลโท เมลวิน ออง (Melvyn Ong) ๒. พลอากาศตรี เคลวิน คอง บุน เหลียง (Kelvin Khong Boon Leong) (PDF) (in Thai). Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  20. ^ "Conferred the Royal Decoration of Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand". @TheRSAF on Twitter. 16 August 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  21. ^ "Agong kurnia 292 pingat kepada tentera, termasuk dua penerima negara asing". MyMetro (in Malay). 19 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
Military offices
Preceded by
Major-General Mervyn Tan
 Chief of the Republic of Singapore Air Force
22 March 2019 – 22 March 2024 		Succeeded by
Brigadier-General Kelvin Fan Sui Siong