S'pore upgrades defense capability

S'pore upgrades defense capability

SINGAPORE (AFP): Singapore's defense chief said in remarks published yesterday that the city-state was determined to develop a strong and modern security force that may include submarines, but ruled out a regional arms race.

Ex-banker Tony Tan, in his first press conference since being named deputy premier and defense minister in August, also said a continued U.S. presence in Asia and China's integration into the world community would boost regional security.

"It is wrong to see the purchase of defense equipment by countries in the region as an arms race," he told local journalists on Wednesday. A text of the interview was made available to AFP by the Television Corp. of Singapore.

Tan said Singapore and its fellow ASEAN members were "proceeding with plans to modernize our armed forces, now that our economies have grown and we have the resources to pay for better weapons and equipment."