Ministry of Defence, Singapore (MINDEF)

During the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue held from 29 to 31 May, Chief of Defence Force Vice Admiral (VADM) Aaron Beng hosted his foreign counterparts — continuing a tradition of high-level defence engagement that has brought together defence chiefs from across the globe.🌎

Such engagements allow the Defence Chiefs to exchange views on global and regional security issues, as well as facilitated discussions on strengthening defence cooperation in an increasingly complex security environment.💪

Still holding steady at the halfway mark 🎯

📸: An air crew specialist from The Republic of Singapore Air Force’s 126 Squadron firing the Super Puma Door Gun in the air during Exercise Wallaby in 2017. [Photo: The RSAF]

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) participated in the Royal Brunei Armed Forces’ (RBAF) 65th anniversary celebrations at Rimba Air Force Base, Brunei Darussalam, from 31 May to 1 Jun. The RSAF’s A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport took part in aerial flypasts, while an F-16 fighter aircraft and a H225M Medium Lift Helicopter were featured as part of the static display alongside assets from other regional Air Forces. ✈️

The RSAF’s participation in the RBAF’s 65th anniversary celebrations underscores 5️⃣0️⃣ years of close and longstanding bilateral defence relations between 🇸🇬 and 🇧🇳. Both Armed Forces interact regularly through high-level visits, bilateral exercises, cross attendance of courses, as well as professional exchanges – deepening the mutual understanding and strengthening ties between the two forces.

On the sidelines of : Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing met his counterparts today, including Defence Ministers and representatives from the Republic of Korea (ROK), Australia, Japan, and Germany.

He reaffirmed defence ties with ROK Minister of National Defense Ahn Gyu-back 🇰🇷 , Australia Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles MP 🇦🇺 and Japan Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi (小泉 進次郎 🇯🇵.

Mr Chan also met with Germany State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Defence Nils Hilmer 🇩🇪, Norway Minister of Defence Tore O. Sandvik 🇳🇴 and India Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh 🇮🇳.

More: go.gov.sg/mindef-sld26nr18

Mr Chan hosted the second Ministerial Roundtable with 10 visiting Ministers and their representatives at today. The Ministers exchanged views on non-traditional and hybrid threats, including the impact of misinformation, cyber risks, and threats to critical underwater infrastructure.

They also discussed the importance of innovation in the area of emerging technologies and the need to get good value from defence spending among other topics.

Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing spoke at the sixth plenary of today – where he emphasised the need to preserve rules and norms that are grounded in international law.

Addressing today’s conflicts, Mr Chan also emphasised the need for new, overlapping networks of flexible and issue-based arrangements to complement multilateral cooperation.

“We should... develop flexible partnerships with like-minded countries, forming coalitions of the able and willing. These serve as the connecting beams of our cooperative lattice: to bridge gaps, test ideas and path-find in new and uncharted territories,” he said.

Mr Chan spoke on the plenary on Evolving Security Partnerships in a Fragmenting World, alongside Philippines Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and NATO Chair of the Military Committee Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone.

More: https://go.gov.sg/mindef-sld26nr17

Live from : Japan Minister of Defense Koizumi Shinjirō spoke on Managing Regional Tensions Amid Global Competition at the 5th plenary session of the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue.

He was joined by Netherlands DPM and Minister of Defence Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius and Malaysia Minister of Defence Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled bin Nordin.

Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing hosted breakfast for the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) Defence Ministers on the sidelines of the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue.

This was attended by Australia DPM and Minister for Defence Richard Marles MP, New Zealand Minister of Defence Chris Penk MP, Malaysia Minister of Defence Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, and the United Kingdom’s Director General (Security Policy) Paul Wyatt.

The Ministers reaffirmed their nations' commitment to the FPDA over the past 55 years – which has enhanced interoperability amongst member-nations’ militaries in jointly executing large-scale conventional exercises, while evolving to incorporate non-conventional elements such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counter-terrorism, and maritime security.

More: go.gov.sg/mindef-sld26nr16