PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Samuel Paparo met with representatives from Singapore Ministry of Defence, July 7-8, to reaffirm the strong and long-standing defense partnership between Singapore and the United States.

During his introductory visit to Singapore, Paparo met with Minister for Defence Dr. Ng Eng Hen, Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General Melvyn Ong, and Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) Chief of the Navy Rear Adm. Aaron Beng.

The RSN and U.S. Navy regularly participate in bilateral and multilateral exercises, including Exercise Pacific Griffin in waters near Guam and the integrated exercise with the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group in the international waters of the South China Sea, as well as combined operations such as multinational counter-piracy.

The visit to Singapore underscored Paparo’s commitment to strengthening partnerships and ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific.