Chan Chun Sing meets FPDA counterparts and other defence ministers

Defence ministers from the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) reaffirmed their countries' commitment to the grouping's role in regional security during a meeting hosted by Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing on May 31.

- Hariz Baharudin

Mr Chan hosted breakfast for Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles, British Minister of State (Minister for the House of Lords) Vernon Coaker, New Zealand Minister for Defence Judith Collins, and Malaysian Minister of Defence Mohamed Khaled Nordin, which took place on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue.

At the meeting, a regular feature of the security forum, the ministers commended the grouping's progress in implementing their nations' guidance to raise the complexity of FPDA exercises to stay relevant to current security challenges.

The 2024 edition of the FPDA's Exercise Bersama Lima (XBL24) saw the inaugural participation of fifth-generation fighter aircraft, including 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," said Singapore's Ministry of Defence in a statement.

The ministers also affirmed the continued strategic relevance of the FPDA as a constructive, transparent and peaceful defence arrangement that supports regional security architecture, the statement added.