READOUT: Pacific Fleet commander’s travel to the Republic of Singapore, 2-4 May 2023

05 May 2023

From U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs

Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander U.S. Pacific Fleet, traveled to the Republic of Singapore, May 2-4, 2023 to affirm the partnership between Singapore and the United States.Paparo met with senior Singapore defense officials to discuss enhancing defense cooperation, deepening partnerships, and supporting regional stability and security throughout the

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SINGAPORE (May 3, 2023) Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, speaks during a panel discussion on cooperation and collaberation in the future maritime enviornment with heads of navies and senior navy representatives from India, Canada, Philippines and the United Kingdom at the Republic of Singapore Navy’s International Maritime Security Conference, May 3, 2023. The visit to Singapore underscores the United States’ commitment to strengthening alliances and partnerships for an enduring, resilient, free and open Indo-Pacific. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy)

Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander U.S. Pacific Fleet, traveled to the Republic of Singapore, May 2-4, 2023 to affirm the partnership between Singapore and the United States.

Paparo met with senior Singapore defense officials to discuss enhancing defense cooperation, deepening partnerships, and supporting regional stability and security throughout the Indo-Pacific, including:

Rear Adm. Aaron Beng, Chief of Defense Force, Singapore Armed Forces
Rear Adm. Sean Wat, Chief of Navy, Republic of Singapore Navy

The two navies have a longstanding defense relationship and a strong navy-to-navy partnership that includes regular staff talks, port visits, exercises and exchanges throughout the year, including participation in International Maritime Defence Exhibition 2023 (IMDEX 23).

Adm. Samuel Paparo holds a bilateral discussion with Adm. Radhakrishnan Hari Kumar.

Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, holds a bilateral discussion with Adm. Radhakrishnan Hari Kumar, Chief of Naval Staff to the Indian Navy, during the International Maritime Security Conference 2023 in Singapore. The visit to Singapore underscores the United States’ commitment to strengthening alliances and partnerships for an enduring, resilient, free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Sarah Villegas)

Adm. Samuel Paparo and Vice Adm. Toribio Adaci hold a bilateral discussion.

Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, and Vice Adm. Toribio Adaci, Flag Officer in Command of the Philippine Navy, hold a bilateral discussion during the International Maritime Security Conference 2023 in Singapore. The visit to Singapore underscores the United States’ commitment to strengthening alliances and partnerships for an enduring, resilient, free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Sarah Villegas)

At IMDEX 23, Paparo participated in a panel discussion on ‘Cooperation and Collaboration in the Future Maritime Environment’ together with Adm. R. Hari Kumar, India’s Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Adm. David Proctor, New Zealand’s Chief of Navy, Vice Adm. Toribio Adaci, Philippine Navy’s Flag Officer in Command, and Vice Adm. Martin Connell, Second Sea Lord and U.K. Royal Navy’s Deputy Chief of Naval Staff. He addressed the commonality of Sailors and the threats they face, including illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, natural disasters, and threats to the international rules based order. The panel highlighted the bright future for cooperation between like-minded navies interested in enhancing professional interaction, supporting sovereignty and ensuring maritime security for a free and open Indo-Pacific.

During IMDEX, Paparo held bilateral meetings with:

Adm. Ryo Sakai, Chief of Staff, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
Adm. Muhammad Ali, Chief of Navy, Indonesian Navy
Adm. Francisco Hernando Cubides Granados, Chief of Navy, Colombian Navy
Vice Adm. Mark Hammond, Chief of Navy, Royal Australian Navy
Vice Adm. Jan Christian Kaack, Chief of German Navy
Vice Adm. Antonio Natale, Commandant of Italian Navy Schools and Institutions, Italian Navy
Vice Adm. Toribio Adaci, Flag Officer in Command, Philippine Navy
Vice Adm. Priyantha Perera, Commander of the Navy, Sri Lanka Navy
Vice Adm. Martin Connell, Second Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, Royal Navy

Adm. Samuel Paparo poses for a photo with Adm. Francisco Hernando Cubides Granados.

Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, poses for a photo with Adm. Francisco Hernando Cubides Granados of the Colombian Navy during the International Maritime Security Conference 2023 in Singapore. The visit to Singapore underscores the United States’ commitment to strengthening alliances and partnerships for an enduring, resilient, free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Sarah Villegas)

Adm. Samuel Paparo holds a multilateral discussion with Vice Adm. Mark Hammond, Adm. Ryo Sakai and Adm. Radhakrishnan Hari Kumar.

Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, holds a multilateral discussion with Vice Adm. Mark Hammond of the Royal Australian Navy, Adm. Ryo Sakai of the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force, and Adm. Radhakrishnan Hari Kumar of the Indian Navy during the International Maritime Security Conference 2023 in Singapore. The visit to Singapore underscores the United States’ commitment to strengthening alliances and partnerships for an enduring, resilient, free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Sarah Villegas)

Adm. Samuel Paparo holds a bilateral discussion with Vice Adm. Antonio Natale.

Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, holds a bilateral discussion with Vice Adm. Antonio Natale of the Italian Navy during the International Maritime Security Conference 2023 in Singapore. The visit to Singapore underscores the United States’ commitment to strengthening alliances and partnerships for an enduring, resilient, free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Sarah Villegas)

Adm. Samuel Paparo (right) shakes hands with Vice Adm. Jan Christian Kaack.

Adm. Samuel Paparo (right), commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, shakes hands with Vice Adm. Jan Christian Kaack, the German Chief of Navy, after a bilateral discussion at the International Maritime Security Conference 2023 in Singapore. The visit to Singapore underscores the United States’ commitment to strengthening alliances and partnerships for an enduring, resilient, free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Sarah Villegas)

Adm. Samuel Paparo shakes hands with Adm. Alberto Alcalá Luna.

Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, shakes hands with Adm. Alberto Alcalá Luna, Peruvian Navy General Commander, after a bilateral discussion aboard USS Mobile (LCS 26) during the International Maritime Security Conference 2023 in Singapore. The visit to Singapore underscores the United States’ commitment to strengthening alliances and partnerships for an enduring, resilient, free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Sarah Villegas)

While at Changi Naval Base aboard the littoral combat ship USS Mobile (LCS 26), Paparo met with:

Adm. R. Hari Kumar, Chief of Naval Staff, Indian Navy
Adm. Alberto Alcalá Luna, Commander-in-Chief, Peruvian Navy
And participated in an Australia, India, Japan, United States multilateral meeting with Hammond, Kumar, and Sakai

While in Singapore, Paparo participated in a repatriation transfer ceremony at the U.S. Embassy for a Defense Personnel Accounting Agency mission to locate the remains of the crew of the B-24 bomber, called Heaven Can Wait, shot down in waters near Papua New Guinea on March 11, 1944.

The visit to Singapore underscored the United States’ commitment to strengthening alliances and partnerships for an enduring resilient, free and open Indo-Pacific.