DEFENCE CHIEFS REAFFIRM COMMITMENT TO FIVE POWER DEFENCE ARRANGEMENTS

"The Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) is as relevant (today) as it was 45 years ago. It was a complex security scenario back then, and it's a complex security scenario today. Working together is still very important."

Australia's Chief Defence Force (CDF) Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Mark Binskin said this at a joint doorstop interview on 5 Oct, together with Singapore's CDF Lieutenant-General (LG) Perry Lim; New Zealand's CDF, LG Timothy Keating; the United Kingdom's Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, General (GEN) Sir Gordon Messenger, and Malaysia's Joint Force Commander, LG Dato' Fadzil Bin Mokhtar.

The chiefs were in Singapore for the 17th FPDA Defence Chiefs' Conference (FDCC), chaired by LG Lim. Held from 4 to 6 Oct, the FDCC, which is hosted alternately by Malaysia and Singapore, is the highest military professional forum of the FPDA and serves as an important platform for dialogue and exchange of views among the defence chiefs. This year also marked 45 years of the FPDA.

During the conference, the defence chiefs discussed the regional situation, and how to build upon existing knowledge and experience gathered over the years of interaction and exercising together. They also touched on ways to promote interoperability among the five armed forces and enhance the professional content of the exercises.

LG Lim said, at the doorstop interview, that the SAF had benefitted from the FPDA exercises through training together and sharing professionally with one another. These exercises include Exercise Bersama Shield, Exercise Suman Warrior, and Exercise Bersama Lima, of which the opening ceremony was held on 6 Oct.

LG Lim said: "They (our counterparts) are very keen to share and to learn. (During the exercises), there is a lot of professional sharing. Our experience is that when you put the fellow professionals together, the magic just happens."

He said this was why the FPDA continued to be important for both Singapore and Malaysia. He added: "We have benefitted immensely over the last 45 years and it will be the same case, going forward We're very happy that (Australia, New Zealand and the UK) continue to show very strong commitment to this arrangement."

Also thankful for the support and commitment of the Australian, New Zealand and UK armed forces all these years was Malaysia's CDF GEN Tan Sri Dato' Sri (Dr) Zulkifeli bin Mohd Zin.

GEN Zulkifeli pledged his commitment to FPDA, saying: "We'll continue to participate. We'll continue to welcome our friends. We're very thankful for their commitment (and) their contribution in ensuring peace and stability, especially so in this part of the region."

Sharing the reason for the continued success of the FPDA, LG Keating said: "The focus on its core aim -- the defence of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore -- is why (the FPDA) has endured for 45 years and why we intend to remain committed for the foreseeable future."

GEN Messenger pledged commitment to future exercises and said the UK's interest and commitment to the FPDA went beyond the security perspective. It has evolved into a friendship and information-sharing relationship where the armed forces can learn from one another.

"We can learn a great deal from our partners in this region, and we think we can give back a great deal too. This is of enormous benefit to us (as we) develop our broader defence capabilities," explained GEN Messenger.

With 45 years of working together under the FPDA, clear communication and a common understanding of procedures have contributed towards interoperability among the five armed forces, said LG Dato' Fadzil.

Beyond that, trust and mutual confidence are benefits reaped from the relationship, especially when it comes to working together for peacetime missions.

LG Lim said: "(When) the SAF was deployed to Afghanistan, we had excellent interoperability and working relationships with the Australian Defence Force and New Zealand Defence Force. The mutual trust and confidence (have been) key to the success of our deployments in recent years and our current deployment for the counter-ISIS operations."

The defence chiefs attended a dinner on 5 Oct to mark the FPDA's 45th anniversary. They also visited the Kranji War Memorial, attended the opening ceremony of Exercise Bersama Lima at Changi Naval Base, and were hosted to breakfast by Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen on 6 Oct.