Commander of the United States Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, Lieutenant General (LTG) Lewis A. Craparotta called on Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen at the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) this morning. During the meeting, Dr Ng and LTG Craparotta reaffirmed the excellent and long-standing bilateral defence relations and the strong relationship between the SAF and the US Marine Corps (USMC). They also discussed areas of ongoing cooperation in the military-to-military and defence technology spheres.

LTG Craparotta, who is in Singapore for his introductory visit from 23 to 25 October 2019, also called on Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General Melvyn Ong and Chief of Army Major-General Goh Si Hou, after reviewing a Guard of Honour at MINDEF.

LTG Craparotta's visit underscores the excellent and long-standing bilateral defence relationship between Singapore and the US. The two defence establishments interact regularly through high-level visits, professional exchanges, cross-attendance of courses and seminars, and numerous bilateral and multilateral exercises. This includes the annual bilateral Exercise Valiant Mark^[1] between the SAF and USMC, which was held in Singapore earlier this year from 11 to 29 Apr 2019. These mutually beneficial military interactions have enhanced the professionalism of both armed forces, strengthened their interoperability, and forged strong camaraderie among their personnel.