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Fact Sheet: 2019 Protocol of Amendment to the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding
24 September 2019
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The 2019 Protocol of Amendment to the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding ("1990 MOU") Regarding United States Use of Facilities in Singapore ("2019 AMOU") was signed between Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and US President Donald Trump on 24 Sep 2019 (Singapore time). The 1990 MOU, signed by our founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and then-US Vice President Dan Quayle, facilitates US' forces access to Singapore's military facilities for transit and logistics support, and has underpinned the US' security presence in the region for almost 30 years. The 2019 AMOU renews the 1990 MOU by extending it for another 15 years, underscoring the strong support for US' regional security presence which remains vital for peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia Pacific.
Following the 1990 MOU, the 2005 Strategic Framework Agreement for a Closer Cooperation Partnership in Defence and Security (SFA) was signed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and then-US President George W. Bush. The 2005 SFA elevated bilateral relations as it uniquely recognised Singapore as a "Major Security Cooperation Partner" of the US. The 2005 SFA also articulates the principles of the Singapore-US defence partnership, and serves as a formal framework that brings together existing and future areas of bilateral defence and security cooperation. Under the 2005 SFA, Singapore and the US also concluded the following agreements, which were signed by then-Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean, and then-US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld: (a) the 2005 Protocol of Amendment to the 1990 MOU, which was renewed; and (b) the 2005 Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA), which brought together defence cooperation activities and provided for new areas of mutually beneficial cooperation.
In 2015, the DCA was enhanced and signed on the 10th anniversary of the 2005 SFA and the 25th anniversary of the 1990 MOU. The 2015 enhanced DCA further elevated defence relations and deepened military cooperation in five areas: military, policy, strategic, technology, and non-conventional security challenges. Both sides also agreed to enhance cooperation in new areas, such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, cyber defence, biosecurity, and communications.
Key Milestones in the Singapore-US Defence Relationship
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Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
Jan 1988 | Inauguration of the first Republic of Singapore Air Force training detachment in the US. |
Nov 1990 | Signed Memorandum of Understanding Regarding the United States Use of Facilities in Singapore, which enables the US' access to Singapore's military facilities (1990 MOU). |
Nov 1998 | Signed an Addendum to the 1990 MOU, extending the use of Changi Naval Base to the US. |
Jul 2005 | Signed Strategic Framework Agreement for a Closer Cooperation Partnership in Defence and Security, under which Singapore and the US became Major Security Cooperation Partners. Also concluded the 2005 Protocol of Amendment to the 1990 MOU, which extended the 1990 MOU for 15 years; and the 2005 Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) which consolidated existing defence cooperation activities and provided for new areas of mutually beneficial cooperation, in the military-to-military, policy and technology areas. |
Dec 2015 | Signed enhanced DCA, which provided a new framework for Singapore-US defence relations. Under this, both sides (a) expanded existing defence cooperation in military, policy, strategic, technology and non-conventional security areas; and (b) agreed to new areas of non-conventional cooperation, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, cyber defence, biosecurity and communications. |
Sep 2019 | Signed the Protocol of Amendment to the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding (2019 AMOU), extending the 1990 MOU for another 15 years. |
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