Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen hosted lunch for the heads of delegation of the participating countries at the Special Forces Commanders' Conference (SFCC) this afternoon. The second SFCC, organised by the Singapore Armed Forces, is held from 15 to 16 October 2014 and is attended by about 400 participants from 15 countries.

Themed "Evolving Terrorist Threats: Challenges and Opportunities for Special Forces", participants at the conference shared information and experiences in special operations tactics and counter-terrorism. Speaking at the opening ceremony this morning, Chief of Army Major-General Perry Lim said, "We are constantly reminded that security challenges continue to exist and hinder peaceful development... Militaries can bring to bear their operational planning expertise, organisational strengths, and a wide variety of assets and manpower. Due to the nature of globalisation, terrorist threats have become transnational in nature, and it is not possible to isolate such threats to one operational or geographic area. Only through mutual sharing and learning can we develop more comprehensive and effective solutions."The conference brings together academic and military speakers and provides learning and engagement opportunities for Special Forces to strengthen multilateral understanding and deepen professional knowledge.