SINGAPORE: The Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) will be expanding cooperation into non-conventional areas, such as counter-terrorism, maritime security, humanitarian and disaster relief, as well as cyber and drone warfare, CNA reported.
The FPDA formed in 1971 against the backdrop of armed conflict across Southeast Asia - comprises Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Singapore's Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen, who hosted the 12th FPDA Defence Ministers' Meeting (FDMM) at a hotel here on Friday, said the session was "very successful".
This meeting was also attended by Malaysian Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles, New Zealand Defence Minister Judith Collins KC, and the United Kingdom's Director General (Security Policy) Paul Wyatt.
Speaking during a joint press conference after the meeting, Dr Ng said the leaders agreed that to keep the group relevant and moving forward, it will work to boost its conventional war-fighting capabilities by including more high-end equipment, CNA reported.
Mohamed Khaled said: "On the non-conventional, we did discuss and deliberate on the need for us to build capabilities in areas such as counterterrorism, maritime security, humanitarian as well as disaster relief. These will be the new areas that we will look into apart from the traditional threats."
Meanwhile, the Ministers in a joint statement said the meeting discussed ways for the militaries to further enhance the professional value of joint exercises while retaining their emphasis on high-end conventional exercise serials.
"The ideas discussed include incorporating next generation capabilities, such as F-35 fighter jets from Australia, P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft from New Zealand, and elements of the Carrier Strike Group from the UK, as well as unmanned systems and non-traditional security scenarios, as part of the exercises," they said.
The Ministers also reaffirmed their nations' strong and continued commitment to the FPDA, stating that it is a unique multilateral arrangement that, through its remit, has played a constructive role in enhancing regional peace and security.
The official FPDA website, www.fivepowerdefencearrangements.org was also launched on Friday, that seeks to give additional insight to the public on how the FPDA functions as a defensive arrangement aimed at building trust and confidence in the region.
As part of the FDMM, the Ministers and the UK's Director General will call on Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the Istana later on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Ministry of Defence in a statement informed that this FPDA meeting was the first attended by Mohamed Khaled since he was appointed as Defence Minister in December 2023.
The participation is important to ensure that the multilateral defence cooperation relationship between Malaysia and the FPDA member countries can be maintained and further enhanced in line with the Pillars of the Credible Partnership Strategy outlined in the Defence White Paper.
The FDMM is held every three years, with Singapore and Malaysia taking turns to host. It is the highest decision-making platform of the FPDA, and it serves as a valuable platform for dialogue and exchange of views among the FPDA Defence Ministers.
– BERNAMA