UK & S’pore military personnel to compete in E-sports tournament on Jun. 25 on UK warship Prince of Wales

Military personnel from the United Kingdom (UK) and Singapore are to compete in a friendly E-sports tournament aboard a UK warship during its visit to Singapore as part of Operation Highmast, the UK’s eight-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific.

A multinational task group led by the UK’s HMS Prince of Wales is conducting exercises, operations and visits with 30 countries across the Mediterranean, Middle East and Indo-Pacific, which will include Singapore, Malaysia and the U.S.

The group will arrive in Singapore on Jun. 23 as the UK and Singapore mark 60 years of diplomatic ties.

Esports tournament

On Jun. 25, an E-sports tournament will be held aboard the warship.

Eddie Maskell-Pederson, the UK Defence Advisor to Singapore, said of the esports facility built within the carrier for the entertainment of those onboard: “It’s not huge, but it’s the first time you have an E-sports facility inside the warship.”

"Street Fighter" will be among the games played during the tournament, he added.

“There are so many defence events, not just in Singapore but across the region, where you can be reactive and event-driven,” he noted, adding that he hopes the esports group can drive multinational collaboration in a more active way.

According to the British High Commission in Singapore, the Singaporean E-sports team was selected through a tournament held in an online community earlier in the year, with the help of the Singapore E-sports Association.

It added that E-sports can build skills that are “valued in modern defence environments”, including strategic thinking, team coordination, and rapid decision-making under pressure.

Other events

Apart from the tournament, a science and technology symposium and an ‘expo’ style event for UK defence and security businesses to network with Singaporean stakeholders will also be held during the visit on Jun. 24.

A think tank roundtable event featuring a fireside chat with UK Minister of State for Defence Vernon Coaker will be held the following day.

On Jun. 26, the task force will take part in other off-ship activities, such as sports and a Masterchef competition.

UK Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Peter Kyle will also be in Singapore during the visit to meet with his local counterparts onboard the vessel.

Operation Highmast

Having departed from Portsmouth in the UK on Apr. 22, the operation is slated to wrap in December after an eight-month voyage.

During which, it will showcase the UK’s growing maritime airpower by marking the first time two full squadrons of UK F-35B Lightning II jets, renowned for their short take-off and vertical landing capabilities, embark aboard a British aircraft carrier.

“We need to demonstrate the importance of stability around the world and stability in the European Atlantic and we believe very firmly that stability in those two areas is indivisible. You can’t have one without the other,” said British High Commissioner to Singapore, Nikesh Mehta.

He added, “So much of our trade…goes on in this part of the world, and ensuring we’ve got stability for freedom of navigation, freedom of movement is absolutely essential.”

Top image via Royal Navy & Singapore E-sports Association/Facebook