The United States Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral John Richardson, and navy chiefs of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) member nations called on Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen yesterday.
During the meeting with Adm Richardson, both sides reaffirmed the strong partnership between the Singapore and US navies.
They also discussed ways to strengthen defence cooperation and the importance of the US' continued engagement with the region, said a Ministry of Defence (Mindef) statement yesterday.
Mindef added that the admiral's visit underscores excellent and longstanding defence ties between Singapore and the US.
Adm Richardson, who also called on Chief of Defence Force Melvyn Ong, will speak at the sixth International Maritime Security Conference at Changi Exhibition Centre today.
The FPDA naval chiefs consist of Vice-Admiral Michael Noonan, Chief of the Royal Australian Navy; Admiral Datuk Mohd Reza Mohd Sany, Chief of the Royal Malaysian Navy; Rear-Admiral David Proctor, Chief of the Royal New Zealand Navy; Rear-Admiral Andrew Burns, Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces and Rear-Admiral Surface Ships; and Rear-Admiral Lew Chuen Hong, Chief of the Republic of Singapore Navy.
They reaffirmed their commitment to the FPDA and the important role that the arrangement continues to play in the regional security architecture, said Mindef in a separate statement.
The FPDA is a defence arrangement formed in 1971 between Australia, Britain, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore.
Over the years, it has evolved to remain relevant to the spectrum of contemporary security challenges, including building capacity in maritime security, counter-terrorism, and other non-traditional transboundary threats, said Mindef.
The chiefs also exchanged views with Dr Ng on strengthening interoperability, increasing the professional value of the FPDA exercises and ensuring the arrangement's relevance.
The meetings were held on the sidelines of the 12th International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference Asia, which began yesterday and ends tomorrow.
