New Delhi: India and Singapore explored new opportunities to strengthen their strategic defence partnership during the 16th India-Singapore Defence Policy Dialogue held in Singapore on May 28, 2026. The high-level meeting reaffirmed both nations’ commitment to promoting a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based Indo-Pacific region.
The dialogue was co-chaired by India’s Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Singapore’s Permanent Secretary (Defence) Joseph Leong. The two leaders reviewed the progress of ongoing defence engagements and discussed a broad range of issues, including military cooperation, defence industry collaboration, capacity building, and regional security challenges.
A major focus of the discussions was enhancing cooperation in emerging and niche areas such as cyber security, artificial intelligence, maritime security, unmanned systems, and advanced defence technologies. Both sides stressed the importance of innovation-driven partnerships and deeper collaboration to effectively address evolving regional and global security concerns.
India and Singapore also appreciated their continued cooperation in multilateral and regional platforms, particularly ASEAN-led mechanisms and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) framework. The two countries reiterated their support for constructive and practical defence cooperation across the Indo-Pacific.
The dialogue highlighted the significance of sustained high-level exchanges and stronger institutional partnerships in advancing bilateral strategic relations. Both sides expressed their commitment to further expanding defence cooperation in the coming years.
During his visit, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh also toured the Digital Operations Technology Centre of the Digital and Intelligence Service of the Singapore Armed Forces. The visit provided valuable insights into Singapore’s advanced digital and technological defence capabilities and opened avenues for future collaboration with Indian defence forces in emerging warfare domains.
