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The United States of America and the Republic of Singapore have entered into a bilateral, non-binding Security of Supply Arrangement to meet upcoming defence requirements.
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The agreement was signed at the 18th Annual Defense Cooperation Committee meeting held in Washington on 5 December.
In addition, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met with Singaporean Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen in Washington on 6 December to discuss a strengthening of the US-Singapore partnership and defence cooperation.
Under the agreement, both parties have arranged to acquire industrial resources to quickly meet defence requirements, resolve unanticipated disruptions that challenge defence capacities and promote supply chain resiliency.
“This SOSA is an important step forward and further strengthens the relationship between Singapore and the United States,” according to Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Dr William A. LaPlante.
“By enabling us to better meet supply chain challenges, we also strengthen our respective defence industrial bases.”
Both countries agree to exchange reciprocal priority support for goods and services that promote national defence, creating a streamlined mechanism for the US Department of Defense and Singapore’s Ministry of Defence to request expedited industrial resources to resolve unanticipated supply chain disruptions affecting national security requirements.
The SOSA agreement is expected to strengthen interoperability and create a resilient, global defence ecosystem for the US, key partners and allies.
Singapore is the seventeenth SOSA partner of the US among Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
Earlier this year, in October, the Republic of Singapore Air Force successfully completed an automatic air-to-air refuelling flight test campaign with cooperation from European multinational aerospace corporation Airbus.
The RSAF refuelled F-15SG Strike Eagle air-to-ground fighter jet aircraft with an Airbus A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) across more than 500 automated wet and dry contacts.
The flight tests with F-15SG were conducted in Singapore, covering the whole operational air-to-air refuelling envelope in different weather conditions under the supervision of Spanish certifying authority National Institute for Aerospace Technology.
In addition, late last year, Australia’s fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft, the F-35A Lightning II, participated in a military exercise with counterparts in Singapore for the first time.
Personnel from the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) No. 75 Squadron operated the aircraft in Singapore for the first time, deployed out of Paya Lebar Air Base. Aircraft crew trained alongside counterparts from the RSAF, engaging in both air and ground-based activities designed to bolster bilateral defence ties.
The exercise also aimed to enhance interoperability between the RSAF’s fourth-generation F-15SG Strike Eagles and F-16 Fighting Falcons and the RAAF’s fifth-generation F-35A aircraft.
The bilateral engagement also involved aviator-to-aviator discussions during a fighter symposium hosted by RSAF’s No. 142 Squadron, which aimed to provide the RSAF with an in-depth understanding of the logistical and maintenance requirements of operating the F-35 platform.
