NEW DELHI: India and Singapore on Tuesday discussed the roadmap to enhance military cooperation as Army Chief General MM Naravane, who is on a three-day visit to the city-state, held talks with his counterpart Brigadier General David Neo.
General Naravane also called on Ng Eng Hen (in pic), Singapore’s Minister for Defence, and discussed regional geopolitical developments, reaffirming the strong and longstanding bilateral defence relationship between both nations.
General Naravane’s visit is a good initiative keeping in with India’s efforts towards its larger goals, according to defence analyst Commodore (Retd) Anil Jai Singh. “A stronger relationship will be mutually beneficial and is in line with India’s SAGAR (‘Security and Growth for all in the Region’) Initiative,” he said. “India is making efforts to consolidate its position in the Indo-Pacific and the two countries share a stronger relationship.”
A statement by Singapore’s Ministry of Defence said the armies of the two countries interact regularly through bilateral exercises, professional exchanges and cross-attendance. “These mutually beneficial interactions have deepened the bilateral defence relationship, enhanced mutual understanding and strengthened the cooperation,” it stated.
Indian and Singapore should explore areas to jointly manufacture defence equipment, said Singh. Incidentally India’s homegrown Light Combat Aircraft was showcased by the Indian Air Force in February at the Singapore AirShow. Gen Naravane also visited the Infantry Gunnery Tactical Simulator IGTS Centre and saw the state-of-the-art simulators, which enable troops to hone their weaponry skills.