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The
heads of the U.S. and Singapore navies, Adm. Vern Clark, Chief
of Naval Operations, and Rear Adm. Lui Tuck Yew, Chief of Navy,
commemorate the first carrier to moor pier side at the new deep-draft
vessel pier at Changi Naval Base, Singapore.
PHOTO BY PH1( NAO) CHRIS DESMOND, USN |
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New
Singapore - U. S. Naval Technological Cooperation Agreement
By GM1 Tim Gustafson, USN |
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Singapore
and the United States recently increased their level of cooperation
in the field of naval technology. On 22 March 2001, Rear Adm.
Richard Lim, Deputy Secretary of Technology for the Republic of
Singapore Ministry of Defense, and Rear Adm. Jay M. Cohen, Chief
of Naval Research for the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR),
signed a bilateral agreement that will enhance naval technological
cooperation between the two nations.
This agreement builds upon a growing military-to-military relationship between the two countries. Rear Adm. Lim noted that, "Singapore has strong defense relations with the U.S. Navy." He continued, "The [U.S.] Navy has been our oldest and closest partner in defense technology cooperation in the U.S. In the past three years we have built up close links with the Office of Naval Research and U.S. Navy laboratories." Speaking for the U.S. side, Rear Adm. Cohen said, "I look forward to increased cooperation and the exchange of cutting edge technologies." He continued, "I was enormously impressed with the people of Singapore, especially the military scientific community." Initially, bilateral efforts will concentrate on three primary areas: mine countermeasures, deterrence of hostile submarine activity, and naval logistics development and management. Both sides hope to expand the cooperative effort to include weather prediction, oceanography and bathymetry. Also targeted for research collaboration are: diving medicine, signature reduction technologies, and the testing of unmanned aerial vehicles. Additionally, scientists plan to study high performance computing for underwater explosions, and energetic and advanced materials. Both countries agreed to provide senior-level guidance and direction for technological collaboration between the two nations. They will encourage cooperation at every level, including in the field, where interaction between researchers is believed to be "especially productive." Dialogue will also take place in joint workshops and seminars. Officials from both Singapore and the U.S. navies will review the document a minimum of once every five years. "This is a win/win for everyone, since Singapore provides truly unique technological capabilities," noted ONR Field Office Director Darren Bergan. "The two organizations together can generate research results better, faster and cheaper than either organization could on its own." |
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