US delegation reaffirms strong defence ties with S'pore

A visiting US congressional delegation has thanked Singapore for assistance in the recovery efforts following the collision of the USS John S. McCain on Aug 21.

The delegation, led by chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific Ted Yoho, also conveyed thanks to Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen for relief efforts during Hurricane Harvey in late August. Four Republic of Singapore Air Force CH-47 Chinook helicopters were deployed to Temple, Texas, for nine days.

At a breakfast hosted by Dr Ng yesterday, the two countries affirmed the excellent and longstanding defence relationship between Singapore and the US.

Dr Ng also expressed appreciation for the US' support for the Singapore Armed Forces' training in the country.

The delegation was on a two-day visit to Singapore starting on Thursday, the Ministry of Defence said in a press release.

Both sides discussed geopolitical developments over breakfast with Dr Ng reiterating the importance of US engagement in the Asia-Pacific region, in both economic and security aspects.

The delegation visited RSS Singapura-Changi Naval Base on Thursday, where they toured the Changi Command and Control Centre.

It also visited the Information Fusion Centre and the Changi Regional Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Coordination Centre.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 21, 2017, with the headline US delegation reaffirms strong defence ties with S'pore. Subscribe