Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin meeting at the Pentagon in the US on July 16. - PHOTO: MINDEF
SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin on July 16 reaffirmed the two countries’ excellent defence relationship and mutually beneficial partnership during a meeting at the Pentagon.
The defence chiefs also discussed bilateral cooperation in new and emerging technology areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), and welcomed the signing of a statement of intent on data, analytics and AI cooperation, the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) said on the same day.
Both countries have identified some key areas for collaboration, including talent management, which will enable the defence establishments of both nations to discuss approaches and exchange best practices for using data, analytics and AI at speed and scale.
Dr Ng said: “Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly vital in helping militaries secure a competitive edge in today’s digital battlefield.
“I am glad both Singapore and the US are working closely together to accelerate and scale AI adoption in military applications.”
Dr Radha Iyengar Plumb, the US Defence Department’s chief digital and artificial intelligence officer, said: “Singapore, a key technology innovator in the Asia-Pacific region, remains one of our most valued defence partners, and we look forward to further deepening this critical relationship.”
The statement of intent also builds on the longstanding cooperation between Mindef and the US Department of Defence on defence technology, the ministry said, and aligns with earlier agreements.
In particular, the two countries signed a 2015 agreement to cooperate in new, advanced and niche areas, and further cooperation in existing military, policy, strategic, technology and non-conventional security areas.
Singapore and the US inked another agreement – at the 2024 Shangri-La Dialogue in the city-state – to deepen collaboration on defence innovation by using AI and autonomous systems to solve military operational challenges, among others.
The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has been integrating AI and data analytics into some of its systems over the years.
For one thing, its command and control information system was upgraded in 2021 to use AI and data analytics to recommend the solutions to changing battlefield scenarios, with algorithms that propose the best matches of weapons to targets.
On Feb 26 and Feb 27, 2024, Singapore also hosted the inaugural Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain (Reaim) Regional Consultations, attended by defence and foreign affairs officials from 14 Asian countries.
At the July 16 meeting, Dr Ng and Mr Austin also discussed the US’ presence in and engagement with the Asia-Pacific, Mindef added.
Dr Ng expressed appreciation for the enduring support of the SAF’s training in the US, and the acquisition and operationalisation of the F-35 aircraft.
He arrived in the US on July 15 and will speak at the opening night of the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado on July 17. He will return to Singapore on July 18. - The Straits Times/ANN
