1-6-2024 (SINGAPORE) The Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA), a long-standing defense pact comprising Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Britain, has agreed to incorporate next-generation military capabilities into their joint exercises, signaling a significant advancement in regional security cooperation.
During the 12th FPDA Defence Ministers’ Meeting (FDMM) held on May 31 in Singapore, defense representatives from the five nations discussed plans to include high-end assets such as Australia’s F-35 fighter jets, New Zealand’s P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, elements of Britain’s Carrier Strike Group, and unmanned systems in future FPDA drills.
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles confirmed that Australia will contribute F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to Exercise Bersama Lima later this year, marking the first time a fifth-generation aircraft will participate in the exercise. “It’s an example of what we are trying to do in terms of increasing the complexity of these exercises and the higher nature of them,” Marles stated.
New Zealand’s Defence Minister, Judith Collins, revealed that a P-8 Poseidon submarine hunter-tracker aircraft will be deployed to Singapore for the first time as part of the drills, highlighting the strategic importance of the region’s maritime channels.
The FPDA, formed in 1971 to safeguard the external defense of Singapore and Malaysia, remains relevant today as the member countries aim to enhance regional cooperation and strengthen military-to-military ties. Moving forward, Singapore’s Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, who hosted the meeting, said the FPDA will venture into building capabilities in “non-conventional” fields such as counter-terrorism, maritime security, and humanitarian and disaster relief.
Malaysian Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin acknowledged the need to address emerging threats, stating, “Whatever it is, we can see what is happening elsewhere, especially in the Middle East. We have a new phenomenon, in the sense that threats may not come from conventional sources. Although we may not be able to come up with the correct solution, it does not mean that we should not start somewhere.”
Dr. Ng emphasized the importance of cooperation and intelligence sharing, expressing gratitude to the UK, Australia, and New Zealand for their assistance in monitoring and mitigating terrorism threats in the region. “Without their help, it’s quite certain that we’ll have real physical disasters in our region… All of us are on the same page that the threat of terrorism remains real and present,” he said.
While acknowledging the increasing geopolitical tensions globally, Ms. Collins and British director-general of security policy, Paul Wyatt, reaffirmed the FPDA’s importance in the Indo-Pacific region. Wyatt stressed Britain’s “continued firm commitment” to the FPDA, stating that exercises and activities “will provide a path for thinking about modern challenges and the integration of modern capabilities.”
Addressing concerns about potential regional tensions, Australian Defence Minister Marles and Wyatt emphasized that the FPDA exercises are a continuation of longstanding practices, not an expansion. Wyatt noted that FPDA exercises in the 1990s involved much larger-scale operations with around 200 aircraft.
The FDMM also provided an opportunity for bilateral engagements and discussions on regional security developments. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong hosted the FPDA defense ministers at the Istana, while China’s Minister of National Defence, Dong Jun, paid an introductory visit to Singapore, reaffirming the longstanding bilateral relationship between the two countries.
