(From left) New Zealand Defence Minister Judith Collins, Malaysian Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Singapore’s Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles and UK Director General (Security Policy) Paul Wyatt at the 12th FPDA Defence Ministers’ Meeting, on May 31. - ST
SINGAPORE: F-35 fighter jets from Australia. P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft from New Zealand. Elements of the UK’s Carrier Strike Group. Unmanned systems.
These are some of the next-generation capabilities that will be incorporated in future joint military drills under the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA), which Singapore is part of.
These ideas were discussed on May 31, as defence representatives of the FPDA countries – Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and Britain – met for the 12th FPDA Defence Ministers’ Meeting (FDMM), where they agreed to include more high-end warfighting capabilities in exercises under the grouping.
The FDMM, which is the highest decision-making platform of the FPDA, is held every three years, with Singapore and Malaysia taking turns to host. This time round, the meeting is held on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, which kicked off on May 31 as well.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia will be contributing F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to Exercise Bersama Lima later this year.
The exercise is one of the regular exercises aimed at building the ability for FPDA countries to operate well together, as well as improving the proficiency of their air, maritime and land forces.
Pointing out that this will make it the first time a fifth-generation aircraft is to participate in Bersama Lima, Marles said: “It’s an example of what we are trying to do in terms of increasing the complexity of these exercises and the higher nature of them.”
New Zealand Defence Minister Judith Collins said a P-8 Poseidon would be deployed to Singapore for the first time as part of the drills. The P-8 aircraft is the premier US submarine hunter-tracker that is increasingly deployed in the region against China’s submarine patrols.
Singapore is close to important submarine channels in Indonesia linking the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean.
FPDA first took form in 1971 to safeguard the external defence of Singapore and Malaysia, amid the withdrawal of British forces from Singapore.
It remains relevant 53 years on, as the FPDA countries see it as playing an important role as a “constructive and peaceful defence arrangement” in enhancing regional cooperation and strengthening military-to-military ties.
Moving forward, Singapore’s Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, who hosted the morning’s meeting, said the FPDA will venture into building capabilities in “non-conventional” fields as well.
This comes as parties discussed the need to build capabilities in areas such as counter-terrorism, maritime security, and humanitarian and disaster relief, Malaysian Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin added.
The non-conventional needs are why future exercises intend to feature drones and unmanned aircraft, Dr Ng said.
When asked by The Straits Times if the counter-terrorism focus was triggered by any particular event, Khaled said: “Whatever it is, we can see what is happening elsewhere, especially in the Middle East.”
He added: “We have a new phenomenon, in the sense that threats may not come from conventional sources. Although we may not be able to come up with the correct solution, it does not mean that we should not start somewhere.”
Chiming in, Dr Ng said “memories are short”, but it was less than a decade ago that operators from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia had based themselves in Syria and the Middle East and declared targets in the region.
“I want to put on record our thanks to the UK, Australia and New Zealand intelligence that helped us monitor those various elements and, in some instances, mitigated,” Dr Ng added.
“Without their help, it’s quite certain that we’ll have real physical disasters in our region... All of us are on the same page that the threat of terrorism remains real and present.”
Collins told reporters she believes the FPDA remains an important feature in the Indo-Pacific region, adding that the geopolitical situation in the world is “not becoming less tense, but in fact more tense”.
Stressing the UK’s “continued firm commitment” to the FPDA, UK Director General (Security Policy) Paul Wyatt said FPDA exercises and activities “will provide a path for thinking about modern challenges and the integration of modern capabilities”.
Asked if China had expressed any concern about increased firepower exercises in the region, particularly in the South China Sea, Marles answered on behalf of everyone and said: “Not to us.”
Wyatt then provided some context, noting that FPDA exercises in the 90s had some 200 aircraft flying in much larger-scale exercises.
“We are going to continue to adapt, modernise and to introduce new capabilities, but this is a message of continuity, not a message of expansion,” he said.
Given that former US president Donald Trump was found guilty on all counts in the hush money trial, a reporter also asked if having a convict in the White House, if Trump is reelected, would undermine US authority abroad.
Marles said what happens at the US polls in November is “really a matter for the American people”.
Nevertheless, given America’s “exemplary” contribution to maintaining the rules-based order so far, even as the order is put under increased pressure, he said: “I am confident that America will continue to play its role, no matter what happens at the end of this year.”
Dr Ng, meanwhile, voiced that the question asserts that Trump undermines America’s relationships with its partners, but that was not the case with Singapore.
Former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had renewed a memorandum of understanding for the presence of US’ ships and planes in Singapore, and maintained the defence relationship under Trump’s presidency, he stated.
As part of the FDMM, Dr Ng, Marles, Khaled, Collins and Wyatt also called on Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the Istana in the afternoon.
Earlier at the Istana, China Minister of National Defense Admiral (ADM) Dong Jun called on PM Wong as part of his introductory visit to Singapore.
The Ministry of Defence said during the call, which was also attended by Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How, Wong and Admiral Dong reaffirmed the longstanding and warm bilateral relationship between Singapore and China.
The ministry said they welcomed the regular interactions between the defence establishments, including high-level visits, military-to-military interactions, and academic exchanges.
Wong and ADM Dong also exchanged views on global and regional security developments and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation and build mutual trust in the region, the ministry added. - The Straits Times/ANN
