Secretary of War Pete Hegseth met with Singapore’s Minister for Defense Chan Chun Sing at the Pentagon on September 9. The meeting focused on strengthening the defense relationship between the United States and Singapore, emphasizing its significance for maintaining deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Discussions included Singaporean Air Force acquisitions, specifically P-8A and F-35 aircraft, which are expected to enhance interoperability between the two countries’ armed forces. Both leaders also reviewed ongoing talks about expanding U.S. asset rotations in Singapore under the framework of the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding Regarding United States Use of Facilities in Singapore.
Minister Chan voiced support for the Partnership for Indo-Pacific Industrial Resilience (PIPIR), describing it as an important mechanism for cooperation among regional defense industries. Secretary Hegseth reaffirmed U.S. backing for continued training of Singapore Armed Forces personnel in the United States.
"On September 9, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth met with Singapore Minister for Defense Chan Chun Sing at the Pentagon. The leaders reaffirmed the strength of the bilateral defense relationship and its importance for maintaining deterrence in the Indo-Pacific. They discussed Singaporean Air Force acquisitions, such as the P-8A and F-35 aircraft, that will deepen interoperability between our two countries, as well as ongoing discussions to expand U.S. asset rotations in Singapore in line with the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding Regarding United States Use of Facilities in Singapore. Minister Chan expressed support for the Partnership for Indo-Pacific Industrial Resilience (PIPIR) as an important mechanism for regional defense industrial base cooperation. Finally, Secretary Hegseth expressed U.S. support for Singapore Armed Forces training in the United States."