Spoiling for war with China: US plans to deploy combat ships to Singapore
The United States has announced that it will deploy four littoral warships to Singapore for joint military exercises in a move to expand bilateral military cooperation with the Asian country. - The announcement was made by US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta on Thursday, a day after his meeting with Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng at the Pentagon. "The Defense Department's move to deploy US combat ships to Singapore and raise the level of joint exercises will deepen the bilateral military relationship… The deployment signals US commitment to the (Asia-Pacific) region and enhances the ability to train and engage with regional partners," said a joint statement from the defense chiefs. The statement stressed that “a strong US presence in the Asia-Pacific region enhances regional stability and security.” It added that the combat ships would be deployed on a rotational basis rather than being based in Singapore. Pentagon spokeswoman Commander Leslie Hull-Ryde, described the plan as a “significant movement” in their military cooperation and said that "the specific details related to this unprecedented engagement are still being discussed.”