India has decided to sign a 5-year defence cooperation pact with Singapore to allow the Singapore armed force to use Indian Territory and airspace to military exercise on a regular basis. The defence cooperation act, to be signed between Indian and Singapore, would allow India to be a regular host for the training of Singapore armed forces.

Singapore’s army is a small but high-tech armed force. The detailed logistical pact is likely to be inked between both the countries during the visit of Singapore defence minister Teo Chee Hean and permanent secretary (defence) Chiang Chie Foo to India over the next few days.

The Singapore delegation is likely to hold meeting with defence minister A K Antony, Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta and defence secretary Vijay Singh to discuss about the regional security, including expanding cooperation in the sea-zone security arena. This is being said that the signing of defence cooperation with Singapore is the result of India’s “Look East” policy and India’s strategy to establish better military relations with the countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

India is looking serious to expand the political, economic and security ties with Singapore now. According to the report, the cabinet committee has approved the bilateral agreement between both the countries that would allow India to host Singapore’s military equipment in India on a permanent basis now.

An Indian official said that there is no space in Singapore for its armed forces to engage in large-scale military exercises. Now, the Singapore armed force would come to India to exercises under a 2003 defence cooperation pact. Singapore has also signed similar agreements for training facilities with other countries such as US, France, Australia, Thailand and Taiwan.

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