Singapore and Malaysian Armies Conclude Bilateral Exercise Semangat Bersatu

SAF Chief of Army (COA) Major-General (MG) Cai Dexian (right) and MAF COA General (GEN) Tan Sri Dato' Muhammad Hafizuddeain bin Jantan (left) at the closing ceremony of Exercise Semangat Bersatu 2025.

Personnel from the SAF and MAF advancing to secure their objective in an urban operations exercise.

Personnel from the SAF and MAF participating in cross sharing of motorised platforms.

The 29th edition of Exercise Semangat Bersatu (XSB), an annual bilateral exercise between the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF), was conducted successfully in Singapore from 10 to 16 July 2025. SAF Chief of Army (COA) Major General (MG) Cai Dexian and MAF COA General (GEN) Tan Sri Dato' Muhammad Hafizuddeain bin Jantan co-officiated at the closing ceremony of the exercise at the Murai Urban Training Facility this afternoon.

This year’s exercise involved more than 600 soldiers from the SAF's 2nd Singapore Infantry Brigade (2 SIB) and 3rd Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (3 SIR), and the MAF's 5th Battalion, Royal Malay Regiment (5 RMR). The exercise provided a platform for professional exchanges, cross-training, and army-to-army interactions, culminating in the joint planning and execution of a combined battalion mission.

MG Cai commended the soldiers for the successful conduct of XSB25 and highlighted that the exercise has strengthened cooperation and deepened friendships between the two armies. He said, “The exercise provides valuable opportunities for our soldiers to strengthen their tactical proficiency, exchange best practices, and most importantly, build camaraderie. The mutual trust and friendships forged between our soldiers serves as a strong foundation for a wider defence relationship.”

First held in 1989, XSB provides a valuable platform for both armies to strengthen professional interactions and underscores the warm and long-standing defence relations between Singapore and Malaysia. The SAF and the MAF also interact regularly across a range of activities, including bilateral exchanges, cross-attendance of courses and multilateral activities under the ambit of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM)/ADMM-Plus and the Five Power Defence Arrangements.