Members of Special Operations Engineer Regiment (SOER) and Singapore Army combat engineers came together in Singapore during Indo-Pacific Endeavour (IPE) in late October to share skills and enhance interoperability.
The engineers were part of a broader counter-chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosives (CBRNE) scenario training activity with other Australian and Singaporean agencies on board HMAS Brisbane while the ship was alongside.
SOER contingent commander Captain O said it was a great opportunity to share skills and ideas.
“It was great working together with the Singapore combat engineers from 39 Battalion, our Defence Science and Technology Group and Singapore’s DSO National Laboratories to use our collective skills to tackle some really complex problem sets,” Captain O said.
“We all learned something more about each other’s capability from the interaction, particularly the scenario training, and we’re all looking forward to working together again.”
This was the second time SOER CBRNE technical specialists had travelled to Singapore to take part in counter-CBRNE training.
Simon Martinovic, of Defence Science and Technology Group, said the relationship had progressed since the first exercise in June.
“The growth in terms of rapport, interoperability, complexity and the integration of the science and technology elements was outstanding,” Mr Martinovic said.
“We really pushed the boundaries as a collective and are well placed to take cooperation to new heights as part of IPE24.”
Singapore and Australia both endorse the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), which launched in 2003. The PSI is a multinational response to prevent the illegal trade of weapons of mass destruction and related materials, which more than 100 countries have endorsed.
