The German Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral (VADM) Jan Christian Kaack, was conferred Singapore's prestigious military award, the Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera) or Meritorious Service Medal (Military) [MSM(M)], by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen presented the award to VADM Kaack at an investiture held at the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) this morning.

VADM Kaack was conferred the award in recognition of his outstanding contributions towards strengthening the strong bilateral defence ties between the German Navy and the Republic of Singapore Navy. His support for the Republic of Singapore Navy’s Type 218SG submarine programme has paved the way for greater cooperation in submarine training and operations. Both navies also interact regularly through high-level visits and dialogues, navy-to-navy exchanges, and cross-attendance of professional courses, which contributed to the deepening of mutual understanding.

VADM Kaack is in Singapore from 1 to 4 October 2024. Prior to the MSM(M) investiture, VADM Kaack inspected a Guard of Honour and called on Dr Ng and Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Sean Wat. He will also be visiting RSS Singapura – Changi Naval Base tomorrow.