The renewal of a key defence pact between Singapore and the United States underscores the support for the US presence in the region, which remains vital for regional peace, stability and prosperity, the Ministry of Defence said yesterday.
Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen and his US counterpart, Defence Secretary Mark Esper, acknowledged the "milestone renewal" of the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding Regarding United States Use of Facilities in Singapore in a phone call on Monday (US time) before the signing.
The renewal allows American forces access to Singapore's military facilities for another 15 years until 2035.
During their call, the two leaders reaffirmed the excellent and longstanding bilateral defence relationship, Mindef added.
They also reaffirmed the importance of the US' continued engagement of the region.
Mr Esper, who was confirmed as Defence Secretary in July, expressed appreciation for Singapore's enduring support of the US' regional presence.
Both sides also discussed the progress of key initiatives, such as in defence technology and military-to-military cooperation.
Dr Ng thanked Mr Esper for the US' continuing support for the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) overseas training in the US, said Mindef.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who is on a working visit to New York, and US President Donald Trump signed the amendment to the 1990 memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the InterContinental New York Barclay hotel on Monday.
The agreement facilitates US forces' access to Singapore's air and naval bases, and provides logistics support for their transiting personnel, aircraft and vessels.
Under it, the US has rotationally deployed fighter aircraft for exercises, refuelling and main-tenance, as well as deployed littoral combat ships to Singapore since 2013 and P-8 Poseidon aircraft since 2015.
The SAF uses air force bases such as Luke in Arizona and Mountain Home in Idaho as training locations. The longest-running bilateral exercise between the Singapore and US armies, Exercise Tiger Balm, was first conducted in 1981.
In a Facebook post yesterday, Dr Ng wrote that the signing at the highest levels of leadership signals Singapore's continued support for the US to play a constructive and stabilising role through its military presence in this region.
"I spoke with my counterpart, US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper, and both of us agreed and are delighted that this agreement sets the upward trajectory for defence ties for decades to come," he added.
Singapore and the US had agreed to renew the pact when Dr Ng and then Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan met ahead of the Shangri-La Dialogue in May.
The last renewal of the 1990 MOU was done in July 2005, when a Protocol of Amendment was concluded by then Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean and then US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, extending the 1990 MOU by 15 years.
In 2005, the Strategic Framework Agreement (SFA) elevated bilateral defence relations, recognising Singapore as a major security cooperation partner of the US.
Other than the 2005 Protocol of Amendment, the Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) was also signed under the SFA, providing for new areas of mutually beneficial cooperation, said Mindef.
In 2015, an enhanced DCA that was signed deepened cooperation in five areas: military, policy, strategic, technology and non-conventional security.
Both sides also agreed in 2015 to enhance co-operation in new areas such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, cyber defence, biosecurity and communications.
