United States (U.S.) Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is in Singapore for the annual Shangri-La Dialogue, focusing on global and regional security issues.

While here, he met with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen.

Meeting PM Wong

According to a Ministry of Defence press release, during his meeting with PM Wong on May 31, 2024, Austin reaffirmed the excellent and long-standing bilateral defence relations between Singapore and the U.S.

The two leaders discussed ongoing bilateral defence initiatives, exchanged views on geopolitical developments and the regional security architecture and reiterated their shared commitment to stability and prosperity in the region.

"Secretary Austin affirmed the U.S.' continued support for the Singapore Armed Forces' training in the U.S., and PM Wong emphasised Singapore's longstanding support for the U.S.' regional presence," the press release added.

The call was also attended by Senior Minister of State for Defence, Heng Chee How.

Meeting Ng Eng Hen

Austin also met with Ng, and according to another Ministry of Defence press release, the two discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation.

"Ng expressed appreciation for the U.S.' long-standing support for the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) training in the U.S., as well as for the SAF's technology access, including the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)'s acquisition and operationalisation of the F-35 aircraft."

During the 2023 Committee of Supply debate, Ng informed Parliament that Singapore would exercise their option to purchase an additional eight F-35 fighter planes, on top of the four already purchased.

Ng and Austin also reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.' continued engagement in the Asia-Pacific region.

"Secretary Austin conveyed his appreciation for Singapore's consistent support for the US' military presence in our region, including the hosting of rotational deployments," the press statement added.

Both Ng and Wong also met with Austin's counterpart from China, National Defense Minister Dong Jun.

Signing MOU

Ng and Austin witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Defence Innovation Cooperation.

The MOU allows both defence establishments to identify opportunities to leverage commercial dual-use and emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomy, to solve "operational challenges" for both militaries.

Both sides will also work on solutions to address modern security challenges, such as developing counter-uncrewed aircraft systems for maritime security.

The Pentagon also released a statement about Austin's engagements, and noted:

"The officials reaffirmed the longstanding defense partnership between the United States and Singapore, which is rooted in both countries' shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

They discussed opportunities to expand bilateral force posture cooperation to support deeper interoperability and address shared challenges.

They also underscored the importance of ongoing efforts to expand joint training, and they committed to further enhance high-end training and interoperability."

Top image from Mindef.