06 May 2016•Update: 11 May 2016
By Kirsten Han
SINGAPORE
Singapore will have more access to military training areas in Australia after the countries signed a "landmark" pact covering a range of issues and industries from security and trade to arts and culture.
One of the key agreements made allows Singapore troops more access to military training areas in Australia for 25 years, The Straits Times reported.
According to Australian press, Singapore could spend around A$2.25 billion ($1.66 billion) expanding military bases in northeast Queensland state, and increase the number of its troops on rotation in Australia from 6,000 to 14,000.
The troops will also be able to stay up to 18 weeks, as opposed to the current 60 days.
A small island country a little over 700 square kilometers (270 square miles) in size, Singapore emphasizes the important of defense and a strong military, yet lacks the physical space to carry out training exercises.
Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen welcomed the new agreement with Australia, referring to a previous visit to Shoalwater Bay Training Area, one of the two areas marked for expansion in the agreement.
"This precious training land allows thousands of soldiers from infantry, armour, artillery, aircraft and helicopters to hone their skills together, over an area 3 times the size of Singapore," he wrote on his Facebook page Friday.
"This training will sharpen the SAF [Singapore Armed Forces] to one of the most well-trained and proficient militaries in the region, to keep Singapore and Singaporeans well protected," he added.
Commenting on the cost of the military base expansion reported in Australian media, a spokesperson of Singapore's Ministry of Defense told The Straits Times that the amount “is indicative and sets a cap on the life-cycle costs over 25 years for advance training facilities to be jointly developed and used by both militaries.”
The Singapore military conducts exercises in a variety of countries, such as the United States, Brunei, Germany and New Zealand.
It has been conducting training exercises in Australia since 1990, and holds a large unilateral exercise in Shoalwater Bay Training Area every year.
Last year's exercise, which lasted for 65 days, saw more than 4,000 personnel and 400 different platforms training in a variety of terrain, including bushland and mountains -- geographical areas lacking in Singapore's densely-populated, largely-urban environment.
