The three Singaporean armed services operate their own heritage museums - the Air Force one opened first, followed by the Army Museum near the Discovery Centre (which used to focus on showcasing the military in an earlier incarnation), and the Navy Museum at the Changi naval base.
The Air Force museum first opened on Changi Air Base in 1988, but moved to Paya Lebar Air Base (PLAB) in 1990. The museum has seen some renovation and renewal in its 23-year career at PLAB - a scale model of Tengah Air Base was added, and the "Operations" segment has expanded along with the RSAF's remit, for example.
However, the museum itself does seem rather elderly - the video displays are dated, more multimedia could be added in lieu of the static displays to engage viewers more actively, and it hardly features in promotional material these days. In fact, the Museum's website (with a hopeful email attached for inquiries on tours and school visits) has not been updated since 2010.
With the recently announced plan to move PLAB's operations to Changi, one wonders whether the Air Force museum will return there as well.
Your author spent some good afternoons there over the years; while it might not have changed much, admission was free and it certainly was an exciting place for a young boy, with aircraft, helicopters and a Bloodhound on display and plenty of air force history and knick-knacks.
With PLAB closing, there seems little hope that the RSAF Museum will be rejuvenated in its current location - perhaps it will see a new lease of life back in Changi.
