MILITARY TRAINING LOCATIONS

MILITARY TRAINING LOCATIONS: * * *

3.

Ms Ellen Lee:

Ms Ellen Lee asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence in light of Australia's extension of the use of Shoalwater Bay for our military training, how has that impacted on Singapore’s military/ defence relations/ arrangements with our neighbouring countries.

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Ms Ellen Lee asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence whether Singapore is actively looking for more military training locations regionally and internationally to strengthen our military’s exposure to varied training terrain and conditions (land, sea and air) and, if so, where are the exact locations and countries.

Mr Teo Chee Hean: This answer is in response to Question Nos 3 and 4.

Realistic military training has been an integral part of our efforts to build up and maintain a strong and credible Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Given our limited local training areas and airspace, the SAF needs to train overseas and has been doing so since the 1970s.

Singapore is grateful to the many countries around the world, including Australia, Brunei, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, New Zealand, Thailand and the US, that have allowed the SAF to train in their territories. These overseas training opportunities for the SAF have contributed to the building of friendly and mutually beneficial relations between the SAF and the armed forces of these countries. It also allows the SAF to benchmark itself against other professional armed forces.

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In Australia, the Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA) is a key training area for the SAF. Singapore is deeply appreciative of Australia’s continued support for the SAF’s training and in particular, the extension of the use of SWBTA by the SAF. The renewal of the SWBTA Memorandum of Agreement with Australia has not had any impact on our defence relations with our neighbours. They are well aware of Singapore’s longstanding need for overseas training areas.

As local training space will remain a premium in Singapore, MINDEF and the SAF will continue to explore new overseas training opportunities in accordance with the SAF’s operational needs.

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