Singapore army participates in Exercise Thunder Warrior in New Zealand

Senior Minister of State for Defence Ong Ye Kung (second from left) and New Zealand Secretary of Defence Helene Quilter (left) receiving a brief on Exercise Thunder Warrior 16. PHOTO: MINDEF
Mr Ong Ye Kung (centre, in coveralls) and Ms Quilter with SAF troops participating in Exercise Thunder Warrior 16. PHOTO: MINDEF
A Singapore Self-Propelled Howitzer Primus participating in the live-firing exercise at Waiouru Training Area, New Zealand. PHOTO: MINDEF

SINGAPORE - Senior Minister of State for Defence Ong Ye Kung visited Exercise Thunder Warrior, a live firing exercise, at Waiouru Training Area in New Zealand on Tuesday afternoon (Jan 19).

He was accompanied by Ms Helene Quilter, New Zealand's secretary for defence.

Exercise Thunder Warrior is an annual exercise that has been conducted between the Singapore and New Zealand armies since 1997, underscoring the close defence relationship between the two countries.

The armed forces of the two countries also interact on professional exchanges, visits and courses, including under the ambit of the Five Power Defence Arrangements and the Asean Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus, said the Ministry of Defence in a statement released to the media.

This year's exercise is being conducted from Jan 12 to Jan 30 and involves 400 personnel from the Singapore army as well as soldiers from the Royal New Zealand Army.

During their visit, Mr Ong and Ms Quilter observed an integrated artillery live-firing exercise involving weapons such as the Singapore Self-Propelled HowitzerPrimus,the Artillery Hunting Radar Weapon Locating Radar and the Field Artillery Meteorological System.

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