SINGAPORE: Singapore and France on Friday (Could 30) agreed to deepen their defence relationship, exchanging agreements in areas of mutual curiosity corresponding to know-how and synthetic intelligence (AI).
Earlier, Singapore’s Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing and France’s Minister for the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu signed a declaration of intent on enhanced defence cooperation throughout a number of domains, together with digital defence, and to discover new areas of collaboration, corresponding to in rising applied sciences.
The declaration additionally recognises each international locations’ long-standing assist for one another’s deployments, together with the Republic of Singapore Air Pressure’s (RSAF) advanced jet training detachment in Cazaux, France.
A letter of intent on defence AI cooperation was additionally signed to develop the capabilities of the Joint Analysis & Improvement Laboratory that each international locations had established in April 2023 to assist develop AI capabilities for defence functions.
“We’ve got recognized use instances for sense-making and evaluation, countering misinformation and disinformation, autonomous methods, and verification and validation for AI methods,” stated the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) on Friday.
The letter of intent additionally displays each side’ shared goal to contain operational customers and trade companions to co-develop AI-enabled options for battlefield wants and rising safety threats.
In line with a MINDEF press launch in April 2023, that is the primary joint lab it had established with an abroad nation and accomplice.
Each international locations additionally signed an modification to the Administrative Association on Defence Expertise Cooperation, reaffirming bilateral collaboration throughout areas like analysis and improvement (R&D), in addition to highlighting new areas of cooperation in open innovation, and significant applied sciences corresponding to AI, quantum and microelectronics.
This association was first signed in November 2003 and renewed in April 2016.
Mr Chan and Mr Lecornu met on the sidelines of French President Emmanuel Macron’s two-day state visit to Singapore, the place he delivered the keynote address on Friday evening on the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s prime annual defence summit.
“Mr Chan expressed appreciation for France’s assist for the Republic of Singapore Air Pressure coaching at Cazaux Air Base since 1998,” stated MINDEF.
“Each ministers additionally exchanged views on safety priorities and geopolitical developments.”
