Military exercises begin over S'pore
Military exercises begin over S'pore
SINGAPORE (AFP): British, Australian and New Zealand fighters
and battleships yesterday joined a five-nation military exercise
against a mock aerial invasion of Singapore and Malaysia,
officials said.
The Singapore defense ministry said the six-day Five Power
Defense Arrangements (FPDA) exercise will focus on "preserving
the integrity of Malaysian and Singapore airspace against a
simulated external air threat."
A ministry statement said the exercise also involved artillery
forces. It did not state the number of airmen, sailors and troops
involved.
The aircraft mobilized for the maneuvers include F/A 18
fighters from the Royal Australian Air Force, Malaysian F5Es and
Hawks, New Zealand A4Ks, and Singapore's F16 Fighting Falcons and
A4 Super Skyhawks.
Participating ships from the five navies included frigates,
patrol vessels, missile corvettes and a destroyer, including
British frigate HMS Sheffield.
The FPDA, which holds regular exercises to maintain
coordination, was founded in 1971 to help protect Malaysia and
Singapore, which have developed their own modern air and naval
defenses thanks to rapid economic growth.
The exercise followed the announcement that Singapore was
acquiring a second-hand training submarine from Sweden in a
package deal that involves training for a seminal submarine-
warfare force.
The Sunday Times said the 1,130-ton submarine, with a crew
requirement of 23 and a top speed of 16 knots, would further
boost the capabilities of the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN),
which has 4,000 men and 30 vessels.
The report quoted Deputy Premier and Defense Minister Tony Tan
as saying Saturday that no decision had been made on whether a
submarine capability was necessary for the RSN, and the training
was part of the evaluation process.
Singapore, a prosperous trade-driven island state, already has
one of the most modern military hardware inventories in Southeast
Asia. It has major training agreements with the United States,
Australia and other allies.