Latest news with #MINDEF
The Star
20 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Singapore, Vietnam agree to step up defence ties, dialogue between leaders
Vietnam's Minister of National Defence, General Phan Van Giang (on the red carpet, left), welcoming Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing in Hanoi on July 22. - MINDEF SINGAPORE: Singapore and Vietnam will strengthen their defence relationship and seek more regular dialogue between their leaders, Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing said on July 22. This is as both countries aim to achieve concrete outcomes from the upgrade of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) earlier in 2025, Chan said at the conclusion of a visit to Hanoi. During his visit, Chan had called on Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. The two leaders reaffirmed the warm and friendly bilateral relationship between Singapore and Vietnam, and discussed various initiatives under the CSP, said Mindef in a statement. Chan, who is also Coordinating Minister for Public Services, said he and Chinh discussed several areas of potential cooperation, such as in renewable energy, data and finance, and leadership development. At the strategic level, more dialogue between leaders of both sides is important, given the turbulent global economic and security situation, he added. 'We talked about setting up more regular dialogues between the public services of both sides, and how we can use such occasions to talk about the emerging challenges that both of us face,' Chan said. In March 2025, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Communist Party of Vietnam general secretary To Lam announced that Singapore and Vietnam had elevated bilateral ties to a wide-ranging CSP, with both sides committing to deepen cooperation in areas such as security, sustainability and the digital economy. The CSP with Vietnam is Singapore's first with an Asean member state, reflecting both countries' shared commitment to expanding cooperation in areas of mutual benefit and which can create growth opportunities, said Mindef. Singapore's cooperation with Vietnam also supports regional initiatives like the Asean Digital Economy Framework Agreement and the Asean Power Grid, which will strengthen the economy and resilience of Singapore, Vietnam and Asean, the ministry added. On his trip, Chan also met his counterpart, Minister of National Defence Phan Van Giang, and they exchanged views on geopolitical developments. Given that security challenges will increasingly be networked, Chan said he and General Giang discussed ways for the two armed forces to work together to counter such threats. The two defence ministers also agreed to step up military-to-military interactions through high-level visits, bilateral dialogues, cross-attendance of courses, and professional exchanges. 'We will also continue to work together at the Asean Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) and ADMM-Plus to uphold an open and inclusive regional security architecture,' said Chan. Chan was joined at the meetings by Minister of State for Defence Desmond Choo. The two defence ministers also agreed to step up military-to-military interactions through high-level visits, bilateral dialogues, cross-attendance of courses, and professional exchanges. - The Straits Times/ANN
CNA
5 days ago
- Politics
- CNA
SAF and MINDEF units part of Singapore's response to ongoing cyberattack: Chan Chun Sing
SINGAPORE: Units in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) have been responding to the ongoing cyberattack by an alleged China-linked threat actor on Singapore's critical infrastructure, said Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing on Saturday (Jul 19). These select units will work with the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) in a whole-of-government effort to manage the incident, he added. Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam first revealed on Friday that Singapore was actively dealing with the "highly sophisticated' UNC3886 group, which he said posed a serious danger to Singapore and could undermine national security. UNC3886 has been described by Google-owned cybersecurity firm Mandiant as a "China-nexus espionage group" that has targeted prominent strategic organisations on a global scale. On Saturday, Mr Chan was one of three Cabinet ministers to address the attack. Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo said in a Facebook post that Singaporeans should be aware about the ongoing cyberspace threats the country faces, and that there was "never a perfect time" to disclose such incidents. "We always have to strike a fine balance between maintaining operational security and raising public awareness, especially while live operations are ongoing," she added. "Imagine if threat actors succeeded in taking down any of our critical systems, such as water, power or telco networks. The knock-on effects could be devastating." On the sidelines of a community event in Chong Pang on Saturday, Mr Shanmugam was also asked why the Singapore government decided to name the attackers. He said Singaporeans ought to know where the attack was coming from, and that attackers have been named in the past. "The number of incidents we disclose are far smaller than the actual number of attacks, and we don't disclose because of national security or public interest reasons," he added. "This time round, our assessment was that we can disclose those details. I released very little, very few details ... we have confidence as to who the attacker was. So we thought that that is appropriate to disclose." When asked about UNC3886's alleged links to China and possible retaliation for naming them, Mr Shanmugam, who is also Home Affairs Minister, said this was "speculative". "Who they are linked to and how they operate is not something I want to go into," he said. CHINESE EMBASSY RESPONDS On Saturday, the Chinese embassy in Singapore noted that Singapore media outlets had cited "so-called information from a certain country's cybersecurity company" and claimed UNC3886's link to China. The Chinese government expresses "strong dissatisfaction" over the claim and opposes any "groundless smears and accusations", the embassy said in a statement. "The embassy would like to reiterate that China is firmly against and cracks down (on) all forms of cyberattacks in accordance with law. China does not encourage, support or condone hacking activities," it added. "Keeping the cyberspace safe is a global challenge and China stands ready to work with Singapore and the rest of the world to jointly protect cybersecurity." OPERATIONAL READINESS Mr Chan on Saturday described the cyberattacks as an example of the type of emerging threats that the SAF and MINDEF have had to handle. Speaking to journalists during a visit to Selarang Camp, Mr Chan also addressed the importance of readiness among operationally ready national servicemen (NSmen). Countries can buy machines if they have money, but the "most critical" component of Singapore's defence is the "fighting spirit" of its men, he said. "To see the men being prepared, spend time and effort to maintain their fitness, to maintain their operational currency - that to us is the greatest deterrence that we can have," said the Defence Minister. He pointed to new operational challenges, including the conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, that Singapore is learning lessons from. "Many of these things we would have anticipated prior, and we will be ready. We can't be starting our preparations after we see what people do," said Mr Chan.
CNA
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- CNA
NDP tank that hit traffic light: MINDEF says technical fault was the first in its Leopard 2SG fleet
SINGAPORE: The tank collision with a traffic light at a National Day Parade (NDP) national education show on Jul 5 was an isolated incident, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said, adding that the Singapore Army has concluded its investigation into the event. This was the first time the Singapore Army had experienced such a technical fault in its Leopard 2SG Main Battle Tank (L2SG) fleet, MINDEF said in a media release on Friday (Jul 11). "All Mobile Column assets, including the L2SGs, undergo thorough checks before deployment. No issues were detected for the affected L2SG before it moved out," it added. "Comprehensive checks performed across the L2SG fleet since the incident have determined that it was an isolated one." The affected tank was part of the Mobile Column segment for NDP. With the cause of the incident identified and rectified, and additional precautions taken, the L2SGs will resume their participation in this year's NDP, said MINDEF. WHAT HAPPENED The incident had occurred as the tank was turning towards North Bridge Road within the cordoned area, said MINDEF. The investigation found that an internal component within the transmission – specifically the conduit for the transmission fluid to the service brake – had malfunctioned, it said. This resulted in a loss of transmission oil pressure, causing the tank to experience a partial loss in its steering and braking power in the service brake, it added. The tank operator, a full-time national serviceman, responded with the appropriate standard operating procedure, and activated the parking brake to bring the affected tank to a stop, said MINDEF. RENK GmbH, the transmission's original equipment manufacturer, also indicated that this malfunction was previously unknown, the ministry said. The manufacturer will work with the Singapore Army on a maintenance regime for the affected component to prevent reoccurrence, it added.
CNA
10-07-2025
- General
- CNA
NDP 2025: Flag flypast in the heartlands; special SG60 aerial displays at Padang and Marina Bay area
SINGAPORE: As part of National Day celebrations, Singaporeans will be able to catch a sight of helicopters and the state flag flying by in the heartlands on Aug 9. Into its sixth year, the Fly Our Flag segment will feature two CH-47 heavy lift helicopters, each escorted by two AH-64D Apache attack helicopters, carrying the state flag across the island from 5.30pm to 6.20pm. There will be two routes, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said on Thursday (Jul 10). The western route will include locations such as Bukit Batok, Woodlands, Choa Chu Kang, Jurong and West Coast. The eastern route will comprise areas such as Seletar, Sengkang, Punggol, Pasir Ris, Tampines, Bedok and East Coast. AERIAL DISPLAYS AT PADANG AND MARINA BAY AREA As part of the pre-parade segment this year, the Red Lions and naval divers will be transported over the Padang and Marina Bay respectively before their descent for the inaugural Jump of Unity. During the parade and ceremony segment, there will also be a series of aerial displays to demonstrate the Singapore Armed Forces' capabilities in commemoration of SG60, MINDEF said. Two special aerial displays will be showcased, it added. Firstly, six F-15SG fighters will conduct an SG60 tribute in a delta formation, with the outer wingmen turning outwards before transiting into full afterburner climbs to symbolise continued peace and prosperity for the nation. The remaining four F-15SG fighters will continue to fly through in a diamond formation. Secondly, four F-16 fighters will execute a diamond cross turn, with the left and right wingmen breaking to the left and right respectively, followed by lead aircraft breaking to the left and the final aircraft breaking to the right. There will also be a state flag flypast across the Padang during the national anthem, and an enhanced salute to the nation during the parade and ceremony segment. The enhanced salute will see six F-15SG fighters executing an enhanced bomb burst manoeuvre with afterburners in a delta formation. This will be followed by four F-16 fighters flying through in a diamond formation to signify Singapore's diamond jubilee over the Padang after the national anthem. The mobile column will also integrate with an aerial flypast comprising 22 aircrafts in four formations over the Padang for the first time at a National Day celebration, MINDEF said. The first formation will be a multi axis flypast where six F-15SG fighters will approach the Padang from two opposite directions and flying past each other before going into full afterburner climbs. Next, a Jet Formation Flypast consisting of one A330 multi-role tanker transport, four F-16 fighters and one G550-airborne early warning aircraft will ingress from the west. The third formation will be a helicopter formation flypast, consisting of one S-70B Seahawk, two AH-64D Apache attack helicopters, two H225M medium lift helicopters and one CH-47 heavy lift helicopter, that will ingress from the south. Lastly, a transport formation flypast consisting of two C-130 Hercules aircraft and two Fokker-50 transport aircraft will ingress from the east to showcase the assets used in humanitarian assistance and peace support operations. 'These four flypast formations will be integrated with different land vehicle packets during the 'Defending Our Nation' and 'Our Strength in Action' segments of the Mobile Column, which will also include one ASTER 30, two SPYDER and two MPSTAR from the RSAF's ground-based air defence systems,' MINDEF said. FLYPAST IN THE HEARTLANDS On Aug 10, there will also be a fighter jet flypast over the heartlands from 6pm to 6.30pm. Four F-16s will conduct a Fighter Island Flypast in a diamond formation through the heartlands of Singapore. 'Each loop will be flown twice to allow Singaporeans to have time to enjoy the flypast,' MINDEF said.
Online Citizen
08-07-2025
- Online Citizen
Leopard 2SG tank hits traffic light during NDP 2025 education show in Singapore
SINGAPORE: A tank struck a traffic light on 5 July 2025 during a National Day Parade (NDP) 2025 education show in Singapore. The incident occurred at approximately 7.20pm along North Bridge Road following the Mobile Column segment of the NDP National Education (NE) Show 2. According to the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), a Leopard 2SG Main Battle Tank (L2SG) experienced a technical issue, leading to contact with a traffic light. Footage shared by Facebook page SGRV showed the tank making a right turn near Parliament House when it collided with the traffic light. The tank was seen reversing and pausing before completing the turn. The traffic light was left slightly misaligned. MINDEF confirmed that no personnel were injured and the tank remained within the cordoned area, away from the public. The L2SG was travelling at a speed below the 20kmh limit, and the crew followed standard operating procedures. The vehicle sustained no damage. Minor damage was reported to the traffic light stand. MINDEF and the NDP 2025 Executive Committee worked with the Land Transport Authority to complete repairs. Investigations are ongoing.
