Singapore inks deal for air force to train in Guam

Dec. 9 (UPI) -- The Republic of Singapore Air Force will establish a fighter pilot training detachment in the U.S. territory of Guam.

A memorandum of understanding was signed by Dr. Ng Eng Hen of the Singapore Defense Ministry, and U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper in a ceremony in Simi Valley, Calif. Both leaders attended the Reagan National Defense Forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

Singapore's air force primarily flies F-15 and F-16 fighter aircraft, and the pact will assure it a permanent training presence at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.

It will be the seventh long-term overseas assignment for the RSAF and the closest to Singapore. Because of airspace constraints in the nation, Singapore has training detachments in other countries, including the United States, France and Australia. Guam is an island in the Pacific Ocean, used by the United States as a staging base for military activity in the Indo-Pacific region.

"This agreement is indicative of the strong bonds between the United States and the Republic of Singapore, particularly with respect to our defense cooperation," said Esper on Friday.

It comes after a renewal of a 15-year agreement in September allowing U.S. military forces to use Singapore's air and naval bases. Singapore and the United States have held bilateral training exercises since the early 1990s.