Exercise Tiger Balm 2025 highlighted the longstanding Singapore-United States partnership to strengthen combined readiness, interoperability and the ability to respond to complex challenges to safeguard a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.
Soldiers from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and U.S. Army National Guard units based in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii and Washington state participated in the 44th iteration of the annual bilateral training May 5-16. The nearly 1,100 personnel included more than 800 from the 6th Singapore Division/Headquarters Sense & Strike (6 Div/HQ SS) and 76th Singapore Infantry Brigade, according to the Singapore Ministry of Defence.
Tiger Balm 2025 integrated urban operations in the SAF’s recently opened training facility. Known as the SAFTI City, the space resembles an urban environment, including high-rise buildings. There, Soldiers executed command post operations and a field training exercise to test a combined Singapore-U.S. coalition task force.
“Exercise Tiger Balm is founded on strong and long-standing ties between both armies and nations. This year, we have incorporated new urban combat missions and unmanned technologies as part of our training in the new SAFTI City. It demonstrates our shared resolve and commitment to strengthen interoperability, and reaffirms our deep and strategic partnership,” said Singapore Brig. Gen. Anand Sathi Kumar, commander of the 6 Div/HQ SS.
The training centered on the forces’ brigade staffs and their military decision-making. It consisted of artillery and aviation targeting and air-ground integration by SAF and U.S. forces employing multidomain concepts of operations. The Singapore Air Force’s AH-64D Apache Helicopters, Heron 1 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and the Army’s Strike Observer Mission (STORM) team — which conducts reconnaissance on enemy assets and locations — supported the task force during the exercise.
The training included expert exchanges on counter-improvised explosive devices and chemical, biological and radiological defense operations to sharpen the forces’ capabilities to meet evolving threats. Soldiers also trained on jungle survival techniques.
Exercise Tiger Balm is the Singapore Army’s longest-running bilateral exercise. Since 1981 it has allowed the Singapore and U.S. armies to collaborate and share tactics and techniques and is considered the hallmark of the long-standing ties between the armed forces.
Tiger Balm demonstrates a shared commitment to a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, showcases modern multidomain capabilities, and reinforces the strong ties between the Singapore and U.S. and armies, officials said.
