Singapore, India Enhance Defence Cooperation

Permanent Secretary for Defence, Chan Yeng Kit (right), exchanging the revised Defence Cooperation Agreement with Indian Foreign Secretary, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (left), at the Istana this afternoon.

Singapore and India jointly concluded a revised Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) today, alongside the India-Singapore Strategic Partnership signed by Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong and Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, at the Istana this afternoon. The revised DCA, under the ambit of an Enhanced Defence Partnership, was signed by Minister for Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen, and Indian Minister of Defence, Manohar Parrikar, and symbolically exchanged by Permanent Secretary for Defence, Chan Yeng Kit, and Indian Foreign Secretary, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, in the presence of both Prime Ministers.

The conclusion of the revised DCA marks a significant milestone in the strengthening of defence relations between Singapore and India, as both countries commemorate 50 years of diplomatic relations this year. As part of the revised DCA, Singapore and India agreed to: (a) establish a regular Defence Ministers' Dialogue; (b) deepen cooperation in maritime security; and (c) encourage cooperation between defence industries of the two countries. Both countries also agreed to continue to conduct and enhance bilateral training and exercises between the two armed forces, and explore further cooperation in areas of common interest, such as in defence technology and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR). Earlier this year, India accredited an International Liaison Officer to the Changi Regional HADR Coordination Centre.

In addition, with the earlier signing of a Technical Agreement (TA) on the Sharing of White-Shipping Information between the Republic of Singapore Navy and the Indian Navy in July 2015, Singapore's Information Fusion Centre and India's Directorate of Net Centric Operations have operationalised the exchange of real-time white-shipping information for greater maritime awareness and sense-making. The TA on the Sharing of White-Shipping Information is testament to the longstanding interest of Singapore and India to enhance cooperation in maritime security and maritime information sharing. Mr Chan and the High Commissioner of India to Singapore, Vijay Thakur Singh, also exchanged a note welcoming the operationalisation of the TA. After both exchanges, Dr Ng and Mr Chan attended an official lunch hosted by PM Lee for PM Modi.

Singapore and India share warm and long-standing defence relations, with bilateral defence engagements deepening since the signing of the DCA in 2003, as well as the signing of the Air Force and Army Bilateral Agreements in 2007 and 2008 respectively. Defence interactions between the two countries include high-level visits, policy dialogues, joint military training, defence technology cooperation, courses, seminars and other professional exchanges.

Minister for Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen, at the official lunch hosted by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, at the Istana.

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