21 November 2012

News Story: India-Singapore Defense Ties Strong Despite Industry Blacklisting


By Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — The blacklisting of ST (Singapore Technologies) Kinetics in 2009 on alleged involvement in kickbacks with the Indian Ordnance Factories Board will not affect defense ties between India and the Indian Ocean island nation, says visiting Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen.

Speaking at a lecture organized here Nov. 20, Hen said, “Singapore has a working mechanism where even defense companies recognize that they have to work themselves as per international norms, and ST Kinetics is well poised to defend itself.”

However, Indian Defence Ministry sources said Singapore raised the issue of blacklisting at the diplomatic level in the past when India canceled a tender for light howitzer guns in which BAE systems and Singapore Technology were competing.

Read the full story at DefenseNews