HMS Daring docks in Singapore

SINGAPORE — The HMS Daring, a British Royal Navy warship, arrived at Sembawang Wharves yesterday to take part in Exercise Bersama Lima, a military exercise conducted under the auspices of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA).

The FPDA is a multilateral defence framework established by a series of bilateral agreements between Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, whereby the five countries will consult one another should there be an external threat against Singapore or Malaysia.

The 7,500-tonne HMS Daring features a state-of-the-art Multi-Functional Radar and Sea Viper anti-air missiles with the capability of defending “a wide variety and number of targets”, among other capabilities.

“It shows the UK’s commitment to it (the FPDA), in that we have sent one of our most advanced warships here to participate,” said the HMS Daring’s Commanding Officer Angus Essenhigh.

While here, the HMS Daring crew will visit the Kranji War Memorial with a group of World War II veterans from Britain and take part in community-outreach activities.

Coordinated by the Malaysian Armed Forces, Exercise Bersama Lima will combine land, air and maritime components.

After the exercise, the HMS Daring is expected to visit Vietnam, Thailand, China, South Korea and Japan. KENNETH CHENG