The Chief of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Vice Admiral (VADM) Timothy Barrett was conferred Singapore's prestigious military award, the Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera) [or Meritorious Service Medal (Military)], by President Tony Tan Keng Yam. Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen presented the award to VADM Barrett at an investiture held at the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) this morning.

VADM Barrett was conferred the award for his significant contributions to forging closer ties between the RAN and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN). VADM Barrett promoted greater cooperation between both navies in bilateral and multilateral exercises, including Exercise Singaroo, Exercise Kadaku, Exercise Pacific Reach, and most recently, the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM)-Plus Maritime Security and Counter-Terrorism exercise that Singapore co-organised with Australia, Brunei and New Zealand. These exercises have yielded significant professional benefits and enhanced the interoperability between the two navies.

VADM Barrett strongly supported the RSN's training in Australia, such as the ship-to-shore training at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland, as well as the attachment of RAN officers to both the RSN's Information Fusion Centre and the Singapore Armed Forces' deployments to the Gulf of Aden under Combined Task Force 151.

The Singapore Armed Forces and the Australian Defence Force have a long history of military cooperation in the form of bilateral and multilateral training exercises, operational cooperation, visits, professional exchanges, and the cross-attendance of courses. Both armed forces also interact multilaterally under the ambit of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) and the ADMM-Plus. Such military cooperation will be further strengthened under the Singapore-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) adopted in June 2015 by the Prime Ministers of Singapore and Australia.

VADM Barrett, who is in Singapore for his introductory visit from 26 to 28 June 2016, had called on Dr Ng, Chief of Defence Force Major-General Perry Lim and Chief of Navy Rear-Admiral Lai Chung Han prior to the investiture. VADM Barrett also inspected a Guard of Honour contingent at MINDEF this morning, and spoke at the Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College as part of the Distinguished Speakers’ Programme yesterday.