NZ Army continues to strengthen Singapore partnership

At a time of increased strategic competition the value of long-established and authentic relationships continue to play a vital role.

One such recent visit was conducted by Major General Cai Dexian, the Singapore Chief of Army.

He and his team were welcomed to Wellington at Pukeahu National War Memorial where both chiefs paid tribute to fallen soldiers before a series of briefings held at Defence House.   

Discussions included insights into both armies’ training modernisation, how each service is approaching innovation and the adoption of autonomous systems, as well as discuss upcoming significant multinational exercises where both Singapore and New Zealand are set to attend.

New Zealand’s Chief of Army, Major General Rose King, said the opportunity to conduct honest and open dialogue with close partners is vital in the current environment.

“We are at a point in time where the value of partnerships and military relationships based on trust and authentic peer-to-peer engagement is more important than I remember during the course of my career,” said Major General King.

“Singapore has been an important partner to us for many years and they play a pivotal role when it comes to upholding a peaceful and prosperous Indo Pacific. Having the opportunity to host Major General Cai and his team just cemented that partnership further, and showed us that our partnership is not only in a good place, but continues to evolve and strengthen.”

Singapore is a key partner to New Zealand in the Indo Pacific Region, and along with Australia, the United Kingdom and Malaysia form the Five Powers Defence Agreement (FPDA).

Soldiers and personnel from the Singapore Army are also regular visitors to New Zealand, with gunners from the 24^th Battalion, Singapore Artillery, having conducted the exercise in the Waiouru Military Training Area for nearly 30 years.

The variety and challenging terrain of the Central Plateau, combined with the relevant and necessary space required to train artillery and heavy weapons systems, makes Waiouru a unique landscape across the Pacific.

“It was fantastic to see them in action here one last time,” said Major General King.

“We acknowledge that it is the end of an era for our Singaporean friends, because the SSPH has become such an important weapon system not only for them, but also for us as we have hosted them here for so many years. At the same time, we’re excited to see what the next chapter brings for their artillery battalion.”

Singaporean personnel were among more than 140 personnel to link up at Linton Military Camp in November last year for the annual Command Post Exercise Suman Warrior.