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SINGAPORE: Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen and United States Secretary of Defense Mark Esper reaffirmed on Monday (August 31) their countries’ commitment to the “excellent and long-lasting bilateral defense relationship and partnership between mutual benefit”.
During a video conference, defense chiefs also reaffirmed the importance of the United States’ continued commitment to the region, the Ministry of Defense (MINDEF) said in a press release.
They discussed a wide range of regional and geopolitical developments, including the need for regional defense establishments to work closely together to address common threats like COVID-19 and terrorism.
Dr. Ng and Mr. Esper also addressed the importance of “maintaining the momentum of bilateral cooperation initiatives” amid the pandemic, MINDEF said.
“Both countries enjoy extensive defense interactions, including dialogues, exchanges between the military, training and cross-attending courses and cooperation in defense technology,” the ministry said.
Last September, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and United States President Donald Trump renewed the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the use of the facilities by the United States in Singapore through the Protocol of Amendment. , extending the agreement for another 15 years.
In December last year, Dr. Ng and Mr. Esper signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the establishment of a Republic of Singapore Air Force Fighter Training Detachment (RSAF) in Guam. It is the fourth RSAF detachment on US soil and covers the deployment of F-15SG and F-16 fighter jets and other support assets to Anderson Air Force Base for training.
