The Defence Chiefs of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) member-nations are in Singapore from 10 to 12 October for the 21st FPDA Defence Chiefs' Conference (FDCC). Chaired by Singapore's Chief of Defence Force (CDF) Lieutenant-General (LG) Melvyn Ong, this year's conference was attended by New Zealand's CDF Air Marshal Kevin Short, Australia's Vice CDF Vice Admiral David Johnston, United Kingdom's Vice Chief of the Defence Staff General Gwyn Jenkins and Malaysia's Chief of Army General Tan Sri Zamrose Mohd Zain.

During the conference, the Defence Chiefs reaffirmed their commitment to the FPDA. They acknowledged that the global health situation has abated since the last FDCC in 2021, allowing the FPDA nations to gradually resume the regular tempo of exercises and activities. The Defence Chiefs also commended the successful physical conduct of Exercises Bersama Gold 2021 and Bersama Shield 2022, which enhanced cooperation amongst the member-nations' militaries.

Following the conference, LG Melvyn Ong reiterated the importance of the FPDA in today's regional security environment. He said, "After 51 years, the FPDA continues to be an important security arrangement, ensuring stability and prosperity of our region. It also brings together militaries from different countries to build understanding, but more importantly trust which is a very important commodity today. The FPDA exercises will continue to be relevant and updated according to the threats and challenges we face. The Chiefs affirm the importance of the remits and the relevance of this arrangement."

The FDCC, which is hosted alternately by Malaysia and Singapore, is the highest professional military forum of the FPDA and serves as an important platform for dialogue and exchange of views among the Defence Chiefs.

The Defence Chiefs were also hosted to lunch by Singapore's Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen this afternoon. The Defence Chiefs will observe the opening ceremony of Exercise SUMAN Protector (XSP) in Singapore on 12 October 2022. Held from 10 to 28 October 2022, XSP is conducted once every five years as the culminating exercise of the five-year FPDA training cycle. The conduct of XSP is rotated between Singapore and Malaysia, with Singapore last conducting XSP in 2012.