DOD bolstering partnership with Singapore (Updated)

Singapore, as part of a newly enhanced defense cooperation agreement (DCA) with the United States, will now allow the Navy's P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft to operate within its territory, according to a Pentagon notice.

The new agreement comes as the United States seeks to more greatly assert itself in the Asia Pacific amid territorial disputes driven by China's activities in the South China Sea.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter signed the new agreement at the Pentagon today with Singapore's Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen.

Both Carter and Ng noted that the P-8's "deployment would promote greater interoperability with regional militaries through participation in bilateral and multilateral exercises, while providing timely support for regional [humanitarian assistance and disaster relief] and maritime security efforts," according to the statement.

The "broad framework" of the new DCA focuses on enhanced cooperation in five key areas, "namely in the military, policy, strategic and technology spheres, as well as cooperation against non-conventional security challenges, such as piracy and transnational terrorism," according to the statement.

Both Singapore and the United States also agreed to bolster their cooperation in the areas of cyberdefense, biosecurity and public communications.

"Finally, the enhanced DCA also introduced new high-level dialogues between the two countries’ defense establishments," according to the statement.

The United States has signed similarly beefed up defense agreements with India, Australia and Japan.