Gallery: Patches Spotted At Singapore Airshow 2022

This plasticated design is specific to the Airshow. The Indian Air Force's Tejas display crew mark their appearance at Changi with a representation of their aircraft flying above a stylized version of the Singapore skyline. The buildings are rendered in the color of the Singaporean flag while the rainbow represents India's flag.

As well as the Tejas display patch, this Indian Air Force corporal is sporting a patch from the Republic of Singapore Air Force's 140 Sqn. The squadron is garrisoned at Tengah Air Base and operates the F-16C/D. Its formal insignia shows an osprey's legs, but the bird here is more likely a reference to the Fighting Falcon designation of their aircraft.

This patch requires little interpretation, the bird a reference to the F-15's Strike Eagle name. F-15SG is the designation given to the country-specific aircraft ordered by Singapore in several batches since 2005. The force currently operates 40 of them.

RSAF has 18 AH-64D Apache attack helicopters. This has a large AN/APG-78 Longbow fire-control radar placed above the main rotor. Singapore was the third export customer for the Longbow.

The RSAF's 120 Sqn, which operates the AH-64D, has a kestrel as its insignia - hence the nickname Red Hawks. The squadron was formed in 1969, so what "century" is referred to is unclear.

An example of a patch created not for an enduring institution such as a squadron but for a specific and limited deployment. The white crescent and stars of the Singapore flag form the background for the pair of Apaches and the solo F-16 that the RSAF are flying this year in airshow displays - including this week at Changi.

The lion's head on this tactics-instructor patch is one of the roundels used by the RSAF. The head is a symbol of the Republic. The roundel appears on the service’s ensign.

Not every air force patch celebrates equipment that leaves the ground.

The RSAF started taking delivery last year of the Airbus H225M medium-lift helicopters it is buying to replace its A332M Super Pumas. This patch subtly incorporates elements of the national flag; the crescent in red in the lower left, and stars above the aircraft. The motto may be a reference both to the crews being among the first to operate the type, and to the aircraft's country of manufacture.

The muted color palette of this German Air Force A400M patch gives it an air of sophistication. The design is simple and classic, combining the planform of the aircraft with the force's black cross roundel.

The German Air Force's Air Transport Wing 62 is based at Wunstorf Air Base and operates the A400M. It has traditionally used a blindfolded raven on its coat of arms; the bird an adaptation of a character created by the cartoonist Wilhelm Busch, who was born close to the base, and the blindfold a reference to the unit's role in instrument-flying training. In this patch the raven's blindfold is nowhere to be seen and it is leaning on the four-pointed star of NATO.

Operation Inherent Resolve is the U.S.’ name for its ongoing mission to combat ISIS in Libya and Syria. Germany's contribution has included deploying Tornado fighters in a reconnaissance role and an MRTT tanker.

Another patch from Air Transport Wing 62, this design plays on the A400M's history. Grizzly was the nickname given to the five prototype aircraft, while the yellow globe may be a reference to the production variant, known as Atlas.

The RSAF's 112 Sqn operates the Airbus A330 MRTT from Changi Air Base. The type achieved full operational capability last April and six aircraft are in service. The patch marks the squadron's achievement of being declared the best air-support squadron by the RSAF.