S'PORE, US SIGN AGREEMENT ON ENHANCED DEFENCE COOPERATION

Strengthening cooperation in new areas such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), cyber defence, biosecurity and public communications was one of the key outcomes of an enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (eDCA) signed between Singapore and the United States (US) on 8 Dec (Singapore time).

Signed by Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen and his US counterpart, Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter, at the Pentagon in Washington D.C., the agreement also introduced new high-level defence dialogues between the two countries.

During their meeting, both ministers noted that it was timely for their countries to elevate defence relations through the enhanced DCA. It commemorated the 25th anniversary of the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and the 10th anniversary of the 2005 Strategic Framework Agreement (SFA).

They added that they were pleased with not only the strong military-to-military cooperation between the Singapore Armed Forces and the US Armed Forces, but also how the interoperability built up between the militaries through joint exercises had allowed both countries to work well together in operations such as the reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

For the first time, the US' P-8 Poseidon aircraft will be deployed to Singapore from 7 to 14 Dec, under the ambit of the 1990 MOU and the 2005 SFA. Dr Ng and Mr Carter noted that the aircraft's deployment would promote greater interoperability with regional militaries in bilateral and multilateral exercises, as well as support regional HADR and maritime security efforts.

With the successful deployment of the USS Fort Worth, the second Littoral Combat Ship that the US deployed in the region, the ministers looked forward to the third deployment next year. The US' plan to deploy up to four of such ships concurrently in the region by end-2017 was agreed under the 2005 SFA.

On the topic of regional stability in the Asia-Pacific, both defence leaders noted the need for practical cooperation to counter transnational threats related to terrorism, maritime security and natural disasters. They also recognised the importance of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM)-Plus in fostering practical cooperation among militaries in the region.

Dr Ng, who is in Washington D.C. from 6 to 10 Dec, will meet various leaders such as Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee Senator John McCain and Former US Ambassador to Singapore and Atlantic Council Chairman Jon Huntsman. He will also speak at the Centre for a New American Security on 10 Dec.

The excellent and long-standing defence relationship between Singapore and the US is underscored by the extensive interactions which include high-level visits, policy dialogues, joint military training, defence technology cooperation, courses, seminars and other professional exchanges.