(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has issued an apology following the likelihood that its F-15SG fighter jets were the source of a loud sonic boom that alarmed residents in southern Perth, Australia.
The incident, which occurred shortly after 11 a.m. on Wednesday, prompted numerous complaints on social media from residents in southern Perth about the loud noise.
The sonic boom was so powerful that it reportedly shattered windows in some homes.
Residents described the noise as resembling a massive explosion, with some even stating that their homes “shook” when the boom was heard.
The mystery surrounding the loud noise intensified when Australia’s Geoscience Department reported no seismic activity that could have caused such a sound.
The RSAF confirmed to local television that four of its F-15SG fighter jets, based at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base in Pearce, north of Perth, were conducting training exercises at the time.
According to an RSAF spokesperson, the aircraft were flying approximately 70 km off the coast at an altitude of around 24,000 feet in a designated training area.
“Initial reports suggest that the loud noise heard by Perth residents was likely caused by the fighter jets during their training,” the spokesperson said.
“We did not anticipate this, as the F-15SG jets were operating far out over the water.”
Sources told local television that only Singapore’s F-15SG fighter jets, which were training at the nearby airbase, had the capability to produce a sonic boom that could create such a loud, explosion-like sound.
The RSAF spokesperson expressed appreciation for the ongoing support from the Royal Australian Air Force and the local community for the training and operations of its fighter jets at RAAF Base Pearce.
Australian broadcaster ABC confirmed that the Singaporean fighter jets were operating in a restricted airspace area near Garden Island when the loud noise occurred in Perth.
The sonic boom was generated when the fighter jets exceeded the speed of sound, reaching approximately 1,223 km/h at sea level. — DSA