Defence Minister officiates at opening ceremony of 10th IMDEX

Defence Minister officiates at opening ceremony of 10th IMDEX

1. Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen opened the 10th International Maritime Defence Exhibition & Conference (IMDEX) Asia 2015 at the Changi Exhibition Centre this morning. A total of 52 delegations from the navies, air forces and maritime enforcement agencies of 40 countries, and 180 exhibitors from around the world, are participating in this year’s exhibition. A total of 20 warships from 12 countries are taking part in this year’s IMDEX Asia Warships Display.
   
   
2. Dr Ng told the participants that, “To ensure that our seas remain safe and secure, we need to work together as a region to deal with security challenges that threaten us all. So I am glad to note that the key events of IMDEX-Asia 2015 have been organised with the aim of strengthening maritime security cooperation in mind.”
   
   
3. After the opening ceremony, Dr Ng visited some of the foreign warships that the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) is hosting at Changi Naval Base from 19 to 21 May 2015.
   
   
4. The RSN is also hosting the Maritime Information-Sharing Exercise (MARISX) 2015, Exercise Bell Buoy as well as the 5th Western Pacific Naval Symposium Multilateral Sea Exercise (WMSX). These exercises, which are conducted from 18 to 22 May 2015, seek to strengthen the information-sharing process and enhance interoperability at sea among the participating navies and maritime agencies. Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General Ng Chee Meng officiated at the opening ceremony of the MARISX 2015 and the 5th WMSX at the Changi Command and Control Centre.
   
   
5. The RSN is also co-hosting the 15th Asia Pacific Submarine Conference (APSC) with the United States Navy (USN) from 19 to 20 May 2015. The conference will bring together submarine operating navies to foster regional cooperation and discuss submarine operational safety arrangement for the region. The opening ceremony of the conference will be jointly officiated by the RSN’s Chief of Navy, Rear-Admiral (RADM) Lai Chung Han, and the USN’s Vice Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Michelle Howard, at the Pan Pacific Hotel later this evening.
   
   
6. Prior to the opening ceremony of the APSC, the RSN’s Fleet Commander, Colonel Lew Chuen Hong, and the USN’s Pacific Fleet Submarine Force Commander, RADM Phillip G. Sawyer, will also sign the Joint Standard Operating Procedures for the Memorandum of Agreement concerning Submarine Rescue Mutual Support and Cooperation. This underscores the strong partnership between the RSN and the USN as well as our mutual commitment to submarine rescue.