26 November 2015

News Story: Singapore pursues expansion of military training space in Australia

By Kelvin Wong

Defence training agreements and co-operation between Singapore and Australia look set to be expanded under the Singapore-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) framework following the latest round of discussions between the defence leaders of both countries.

Singaporean defence minister Ng Eng Hen called on his Australian counterpart, Marise Payne, in Sydney on 19 November before travelling to the country's northeastern Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA) - near the city of Rockhampton in Queensland - to observe Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) troops participating in Exercise 'Wallaby' 2015: an annual drill conducted there since 1990.

According to a statement by the Singapore Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), Ng and Payne reiterated their governments' commitment to enhance the bilateral defence relationship between both countries and to finalise a number of initiatives under the recently renewed Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation in Defence Science and Technology.

Read the full story at IHS Jane's 360