PUBLISHED ONMay 07, 2026 6:55 AMBYSean LerAustralia's Chief of the Defence Force Admiral (ADML) David Johnston has been conferred Singapore's highest military award — the Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang (Tentera), or Distinguished Service Order (Military) — by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
ADML Johnston, 64, was presented the award at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) on Thursday (May 7) morning.
It was given for his "significant contributions" in strengthening defence ties between the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), said Mindef in a statement.
The statement added that the frequent bilateral exercises and professional exchanges have deepened cooperation, strengthened interoperability and fostered closer people-to-people ties between the two armed forces.
He is also credited with being a trusted partner in enhancing regional security cooperation through multilateral platforms such as the Five Power Defence Arrangements and the Asean Defence-Ministers Meeting Plus.
During ADML Johnston's tenure, Singapore and Australia signed the memorandum of understanding concerning enhanced defence cooperation, which provides a framework for deepening defence cooperation between the two countries.
Inked during Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's visit in October 2025, the agreement will enhance the ADF's access in and through Singapore such as more frequent port calls and stopovers by its military vessels and aircraft.
SAF will also gain access to enhanced training areas and facilities in Australia, including the establishment of a rotational fighter training detachment.
ADML Johnston also showed strong support for the SAF's training in Australia.
The two militaries commemorated the 35th anniversary of the SAF's training in Shoalwater Bay in 2025, and the 10th anniversary of their flagship bilateral joint exercise, Exercise Trident in 2024.
ADML Johnston, who was promoted to Admiral and appointed the Chief of Defence Force in July 2024, will be succeeded by Vice-Admiral Mark Hammond in July.
During his two-day visit ending May 7, ADML Johnston also called on Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing and the SAF's Chief of Defence Force Vice-Admiral Aaron Beng.
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