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Ministry of Defence
News Releases

Top Military Award Conferred on Australia Chief of the Defence Force

7 May 2026

Australia Chief of the Defence Force Admiral (ADML) David Johnston was conferred Singapore's highest military award, the Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang (Tentera) [Distinguished Service Order (Military)], by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) this morning.

Admiral (ADML) David Johnston (right) with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam (left) after receiving the Distinguished Service Order (Military) award at the Ministry of Defence.
Admiral (ADML) David Johnston (right) with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam (left) after receiving the Distinguished Service Order (Military) award at the Ministry of Defence.

Australia Chief of the Defence Force Admiral (ADML) David Johnston was conferred Singapore's highest military award, the Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang (Tentera) [Distinguished Service Order (Military)], by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) this morning.

ADML Johnston was conferred the award for his significant contributions in strengthening the close and longstanding defence ties between the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Under ADML Johnston's sterling leadership, both militaries deepened cooperation, strengthened interoperability, and fostered closer people-to-people ties through frequent bilateral exercises and professional exchanges. During his tenure, Singapore and Australia also signed the Memorandum of Understanding concerning Enhanced Defence Cooperation (eDC MOU)[1] in October 2025. ADML Johnston has also been a trusted partner in enhancing regional security cooperation through multilateral platforms such as the Five Power Defence Arrangements and the ASEAN Defence-Ministers Meeting Plus.

ADML Johnston’s strong support for the SAF’s training in Australia has provided the SAF with valuable training opportunities to enhance its operational readiness. Both militaries commemorated key milestones such as the 35th anniversary of the SAF’s training in Shoalwater Bay in 2025, and the 10th anniversary of our flagship bilateral joint exercise, Exercise Trident in 2024.

The investiture was attended by Minister for Defence, Mr Chan Chun Sing, Chief of Defence Force Vice Admiral (VADM) Aaron Beng, as well as senior government officials and military officers from Singapore. ADML Johnston, who is in Singapore from 6 to 7 May 2026, also called on Mr Chan and VADM Beng at MINDEF, after inspecting the Guard of Honour.

[1] The eDC MOU provides an ambitious framework for deepening defence cooperation between Singapore and Australia. It builds on the significant progress achieved under the 2015 Australia-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) and enables a range of mutually beneficial defence initiatives under the CSP 2.0, launched in Oct 2025. Both countries agreed to enhance their respective militaries’ reciprocal access to defence facilities in Australia and Singapore, step up cooperation in defence science and technology, logistics, and supply chains, and expand professional exchanges between both militaries. The eDC MOU supersedes the original Memorandum of Understanding concerning Defence Cooperation signed in 2008.

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