The United States (US) Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro called on Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen at the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) this afternoon. During their meeting, Dr Ng and Secretary Del Toro reaffirmed the excellent and long-standing bilateral defence relationship between Singapore and the US, and the close cooperation between our two militaries.   

Secretary Del Toro, who is in Singapore on an introductory visit from 21 to 23 July 2022, also called on Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General Melvyn Ong at MINDEF. As part of his visit, Secretary Del Toro also visited RSS Singapura - Changi Naval Base (CNB) this morning. He was briefed on how CNB has supported the US' continued presence and engagement in the region over the past few decades.

Secretary Del Toro's visit underscores the strong partnership between the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and the US Navy (USN). Both navies interact regularly through bilateral and multilateral exercises, professional exchanges, and cross-attendance of courses.

The RSN is currently participating in the multilateral Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) 2022, which is hosted by the USN and held in the waters off Hawaii. Such interactions deepen cooperation and enhance mutual understanding between the two navies.