Singapore and US Armies Successfully Conclude Exercise Tiger Balm 2026

Commander 6th Singapore Division / Headquarters Sense & Strike Colonel (COL) Kwek Kian Leong and Land Component Commander Brigadier General (BG) Michael Ake at the closing ceremony after the successful conduct of Exercise Tiger Balm 2026.

Soldiers from the Singapore Army and US Army involved in planning during the Command Post Exercise.

Singapore Army and US Army soldiers participating in a Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Subject Matter Expert Exchange.

The Singapore Army and the United States (US) Army successfully conducted the 45th edition of the bilateral exercise, Exercise Tiger Balm from 4 to 15 May 2026 at the Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) and Yakima Training Centre (YTC), Washington, USA. About 600 personnel from the 6th Singapore Division/ Headquarters Sense and Strike (6 Div/HQ SS), 24th Singapore Infantry Brigade (24 SIB), and the 1-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team participated in the Brigade-level exercise.

The exercise featured the conduct of a Combined Arms Live Firing Exercise under the ambit of a Combined Task Force. This was supported by sense-strike elements such as the Singapore Army’s Strike Observer Mission (STORM) team and the US Army’s Fire Support Team (FiST), as well as Field Artillery units. This enabled both armies to exercise multi-domain operations, validate sense-strike and air-land integration processes and enhance interoperability. In addition, professional exchanges on Counter-Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) and Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defence (CBRN) were conducted, culminating in a C-IED live-firing exercise.

Speaking on the significance of the exercise, Commander 6 Div/HQ SS Colonel (COL) Kwek Kian Leong said, “We have learnt not just new tactics and procedures, but also the gained deeper appreciation of each other strengths, operative styles, professional ethos, and more importantly, forged new friendships.”

First conducted in 1981, Exercise Tiger Balm is the longest-running bilateral exercise between the Singapore Army and US Army. The exercise allows both armies to collaborate and share tactics, techniques and procedures, and reflects the excellent and long-standing ties between both armed forces. Both armies also interact regularly through high-level visits, professional exchanges and bilateral and multilateral exercises. These interactions have strengthened cooperation and deepened mutual understanding between personnel from both armies.