Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean officiated at the opening ceremony of the 7th International Maritime Defence Exhibition (IMDEX) Asia 2009 at the Singapore Expo this morning.
In his speech, Mr Teo highlighted that contemporary security challenges can no longer be solved by a single country or a small group of countries acting on its own, and a broader range of actors and stakeholders has to be co-opted and engaged. He said: “Only then will we collectively have the capacity, resources, reach, ideas and expertise to resolve common challenges.”
After the opening ceremony, Mr Teo visited some of the foreign warships taking part in the IMDEX Asia 2009 Warships Display at Changi Naval Base. This year, 18 warships from 13 countries have come to take part in the display, which is being hosted by the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) from 12 to 14 May 2009.
In conjunction with IMDEX Asia 2009, the RSN will also be hosting the inaugural Maritime Information-Sharing Exercise (MARISX), which will be held from 11 to 15 May 2009 at the new Information Fusion Centre located in the Changi Command and Control Centre.
Through the exercise, the RSN will its maritime partners together to practise the information-sharing process and to validate the linkages between the operation centres.
A total of 39 International Liaison Officers from 16 countries and maritime security agencies will be participating in the exercise.
