https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/r...-mindef-4033876



SINGAPORE: Ongoing attacks on ships plying the Red Sea will likely affect global supply chains, but the immediate impact on Singapore is expected to be limited, said Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen on Tuesday (Jan 9).

“Based on the current situation, the immediate impact on Singapore is expected to be limited as the majority of our critical supplies, such as food and pharmaceuticals, are delivered via air freight or do not pass through the Red Sea,” he told parliament.

Local manufacturers appear to have sufficient spare inventory to hedge against supply disruptions, although they are worried about the increases in business costs, the minister added.

The Red Sea, which is bookended by the Suez Canal to the north and the Bab al-Mandab Strait to the south, is a busy waterway offering access to the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia.

Around 12 per cent of global trade passes through the Red Sea, including as much as 30 per cent of container traffic and over US$1 trillion worth of goods a year.

Dr Ng said as of Jan 7, there have been 20 attacks – ranging from the firing of missiles and drones, as well as hijack attempts – by Yemen’s Houthi militants on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, including one on Singapore-flagged Maersk Hangzhou.

The Houthis have said they are targeting vessels with links to Israel to protest against its military campaign in the Gaza Strip, although ships with no direct connection to Israel have also been affected.

The escalating situation has prompted some of the world’s largest container-shipping firms, namely Mediterranean Shipping Company, Maersk, CMA CGM, Cosco Shipping and Hapag-Lloyd, to stop sailing through the area and take a lengthy and costlier detour instead.

Prior to the attacks, around 60 ships pass through the Bab al-Mandab Strait in the Red Sea daily, but the number has dropped by about a third in recent weeks. Singapore-registered ships have also been affected, with the number of daily transits through the Red Sea now approximately halved, Dr Ng said.

US, allies warn Houthis of 'consequences' if ship attacks continue

To secure the vital seaway, the United States and other countries last month formed a new naval task force – dubbed Operation Prosperity Guardian.

Dr Ng said Singapore will participate in the operation by deploying a team of planners to work with international partners at their headquarters to formulate plans.

Singapore will also be sending a team from the Republic of Singapore Navy’s Information Fusion Centre to support information sharing and engagement outreach to the commercial shipping community, as well as a senior national representative to the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) in Bahrain, he said.

The minister noted that it is in Singapore’s interests to join the international community in protecting and ensuring that key sea lines of communications, or SLOCS, around the world remain open, especially if threatened by unlawful acts by non-state actors or terrorist groups.

“We have previously articulated key principles that govern the Straits of Malacca and Singapore Straits, when this key SLOC was threatened by piracy and sea robbery,” he said.

These principles are: The primary responsibility of maritime security lies with the littoral states; the international community and agencies have a role to play; and all measures have to be in accordance with international law and respect the sovereignty of littoral states.

Dr Ng said the launch of the US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian aligns with these key principles.

“In this regard, Singapore holds that the littoral states that surround the Red Sea step up efforts to end the unlawful Houthi attacks. The international community of user states also have a role to play,” he added.

Singapore has been a member of the 39-nation CMF since 2009. Within the CMF, one of the task forces is CTF 153 which aims to keep the Red Sea open and safe.

“The launch of Operation Prosperity Guardian aims to restore international confidence and a free flow of maritime shipping through the area. Singapore will participate in Operation Prosperity Guardian and contribute to CTF 153’s efforts,” said Dr Ng.

This will not be the first time Singapore is participating in such multinational efforts. For example, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) participated in a counter-piracy task force – called the CTF 151 – in the Gulf of Aden with the deployment of various assets from 2009 to 2023, the minister said.

The SAF has also accepted an invite from the French Armed Forces to provide two medical personnel to serve on French helicopter carrier FS Dixmude, which is now docked in Egypt, Dr Ng told the House.

The FS Dixmude is a reconfigured hospital ship and has been treating casualties from Gaza, said the minister, adding that plans are underway to deploy a medical team from Singapore.

The SAF has been supporting humanitarian contributions to Gaza, with the latest effort being on Nov 30 when a Republic of Singapore Air Force aircraft arrived in Egypt with life-saving supplies for civilians in Gaza.

Singapore will participate in the multinational Operation Prosperity Guardian under the ambit of Combined Task Force (CTF) 153: Red Sea Maritime Security.

"NEUTRAL COUNTRY"