Singapore, US reaffirm strong defence relations
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Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen and US Defence Secretary Mark Esper in a videoconference yesterday. Both sides reaffirmed the importance of the US' continued engagement of the region.
PHOTO: MINDEF
Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen and US Defence Secretary Mark Esper held a videoconference yesterday in which they reaffirmed both countries' commitment to their excellent and longstanding defence relationship and mutually beneficial partnership.
During the meeting, Dr Ng and Mr Esper also reaffirmed the importance of the US' continued engagement of the region, said Singapore's Ministry of Defence (Mindef).
They discussed a wide range of regional and geopolitical developments, including the need for regional defence establishments to work closely with one another to address common threats such as Covid-19 and terrorism.
They also spoke about the importance of maintaining the momentum of bilateral cooperation initiatives amid the pandemic.
"Both countries enjoy extensive defence interactions, including dialogues, military-to-military exchanges, training and cross-attendance of courses, and defence technology cooperation," said Mindef.
Last September, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and US President Donald Trump renewed the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Regarding United States Use of Facilities in Singapore through the Protocol of Amendment, extending the agreement by another 15 years to 2035.
Last December, Dr Ng and Mr Esper also signed an MOU concerning the establishment of a Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) fighter training detachment in Guam.
It is the RSAF's fourth such detachment in the US and covers the deployment of F-15SG and F-16 fighter aircraft, as well as other supporting assets such as the Gulfstream G550, to the Anderson Air Force Base for training.
