Singapore and the UK Affirm Long-Standing Defence Technology Relations with Renewal of MOU on Cooperative Defence Research

Chief Defence Scientist Mr Quek Gim Pew (front right) and the Chief Scientific Adviser to the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte (front left) signing the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperative Defence Research.

On 27 June 2018, Chief Defence Scientist Mr Quek Gim Pew and the Chief Scientific Adviser to the United Kingdom (UK) Ministry of Defence (MOD) Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte renewed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperative Defence Research (CDR) for the next 10 years. The MOU signing was witnessed by Permanent Secretary for Defence Development Mr Neo Kian Hong and British High Commissioner to Singapore H.E. Scott Wightman.

First signed in 1998, the MOU renewal demonstrates a shared commitment to further the long-standing bilateral defence technology cooperation. Under the renewed MOU, Singapore will continue to collaborate with the UK MOD in joint research and technology development, and testing of defence-related technologies. Both sides will look to collaborate deeper in the areas of Logistics Management, Maritime Autonomy and Counter-Terrorism.  

Singapore and the UK share warm and long-standing defence relations, underscored by cooperation under the ambit of the Five Power Defence Arrangements, military exercises and exchanges, professional interactions, dialogues and the cross-attendance of courses. The renewal of the MOU on CDR reinforces the positive trajectory of bilateral defence relations from the signing of the Singapore-UK Defence Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (DCMOU) earlier this month. Signed by Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen and UK Secretary of State for Defence Gavin Williamson on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, the DCMOU captures existing bilateral defence relations and cooperation, as well as provides a foundation for future defence cooperation in more specific areas.