S'PORE AND AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE SECRETARIES VISIT EXERCISE WALLABY

Permanent Secretary for Defence Chiang Chie Foo and Australian Secretary of Defence Ian Watt visited the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) troops participating in Exercise Wallaby 2010 at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA) in Queensland, Australia on 01 Nov.

They observed a live-firing exercise conducted by Headquarters 3rd Division and the Air-Land Tactical Control Centre. This year's exercise involved about 5,200 SAF personnel and air and land platforms such as the Apache AH-64 helicopters, the Bionix II Infantry Fighting Vehicles, the Leopard 2A4 Main Battle Tanks and the Singapore Self-Propelled Howitzer, Primus.

Exercise Wallaby 2010, which is being conducted from 24 Sep to 26 Nov, marks the 20th year of SAF training in SWBTA since 1990, and is a testament to the close and long-standing defence relations between Singapore and Australia.

Besides working together in the multinational reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan, the SAF and the Australian Defence Force interact extensively through multilateral training exercises, visits, professional exchanges and military courses.