Singapore, US sign ‘security arrangement' for defense supplies

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Singapore and the US have signed a “security arrangement" for defense supplies, said an official statement on Thursday.

It emerged after Singapore Defense Chief Ng Eng Hen met his US counterpart Lloyd Austin in Washington a day earlier.

According to Singapore's Defense Ministry, the two sides “reaffirmed the excellent bilateral defense relationship and the mutually beneficial partnership between Singapore and the US.”

They discussed “ways to strengthen cooperation between both defense establishments, noting the recent signing of the Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA).”

“The SOSA allows both countries to request for priority delivery of critical and urgent industrial resources to meet defense needs, to better address unanticipated supply chain disruptions,” the statement said.

While Ng appreciated the US support for the Singapore Armed Forces' training and technology requirements, as well as the ongoing acquisition of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Austin “conveyed his appreciation for Singapore's consistent support for the US' military presence in and engagement of the Asia-Pacific.”