Australia and Singapore signed an agreement Thursday that will see Singapore spend 2.25 billion Australian dollars (1.7 billion US dollars) on military training facilities in the northern state of Queensland, dpa reported. Some 14,000 Singapore troops will train in Australia for up to 18 weeks a year, more than double the previous number. Australian Defence Minister Marise Payne and her Singaporean counterpart Ng Eng Hen signed the pact in Canberra. The deal will also see upgrades to current infrastructure at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area and the Townsville Field Training Area. "This will bring us closer as defence partners and generate significant local economic activity over the next 25 years," Payne said.
