Senior Minister of State for Defence Mr Ong Ye Kung and New Zealand Secretary of Defence Ms Helene Quilter visited Exercise Thunder Warrior, an artillery live-firing exercise, at the Waiouru Training Area in New Zealand this afternoon. This year's exercise is conducted from 12 to 30 January 2016 and it involves about 400 personnel from the 21st and 24th Battalions, Singapore Artillery, as well as New Zealand soldiers from the 16th Field Regiment of the Royal New Zealand Army.

During the visit, Mr Ong and Ms Quilter observed an integrated artillery live-firing exercise involving the Singapore Self-Propelled Howitzer Primus, the Artillery Hunting Radar (ARTHUR) Weapon Locating Radar and the Field Artillery Meteorological System. Mr Ong and Ms Quilter also interacted with troops from the Singapore Armed Forces and the New Zealand Defence Force.

Exercise Thunder Warrior, which has been conducted annually in New Zealand since 1997, underscores the close and long-standing defence relationship between Singapore and New Zealand. Both armed forces also interact extensively through a wide range of bilateral and multilateral training exercises, professional exchanges, visits and courses, including under the ambit of the Five Power Defence Arrangements and the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus. These interactions have helped enhance the interoperability and mutual understanding between personnel from the two armed forces.