Minister for Defence Mr Chan Chun Sing hosted breakfast today for Australia Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles, the United Kingdom Minister of State (Minister for the House of Lords) Lord Vernon Coaker, New Zealand Minister of Defence Judith Collins KC, and Malaysia Minister of Defence Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin on the sidelines of the 22nd Shangri-la Dialogue. 

During the breakfast, the Ministers reaffirmed their nations’ commitment to the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) over the past 54 years, and the importance of keeping the FPDA and its exercises relevant to address contemporary security challenges. They also commended the FPDA’s progress in implementing the guidance from the 12th FPDA Defence Ministers’ Meeting (FDMM) last year, particularly in raising exercise complexity; the 2024 edition of Exercise Bersama Lima (XBL24) was marked by the inaugural participation of fifth-generation fighter aircraft such as F-35 fighter jets from Australia, and the P-8 maritime patrol aircraft from New Zealand. Looking ahead, the Ministers look forward to the United Kingdom’s Carrier Strike Group’s participation in XBL25, which would be a milestone achievement for the FPDA, and reaffirm the importance of committing high-end assets to FPDA exercises to enhance their professional value. The Ministers also affirmed the continued strategic relevance of the FPDA as a constructive, transparent, and peaceful defence arrangement which plays an important role in the regional security architecture. 

Formed in 1971, the FPDA continues to play a key role in promoting regional cooperation and contributes constructively to the regional security architecture through the conduct of regular exercises, dialogues, and platforms for professional exchanges.