US defence chief joins military training aboard USS Boxer in Singapore PHOTO / VIDEO

US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth took part in a training exercise with American service members aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer, docked in Singapore, ahead of the Shangri-La Dialogue.

At the end of the exercise, when asked by journalists, Hegseth jokingly said he was just hanging out here.

He later spoke with Marines, sailors, and other personnel on board: “It’s not me; it’s about you guys. <...> You are the eyes of American strength, of American deterrence. <...> You got a lot of good stuff ahead on behalf of the American people. We're with you all the way. Go get them.” 

Building on that message, Hegseth went on to emphasise operational readiness and real-world deployments, linking the training environment to recent missions and global operations:

“So that if and when you are called upon, you are ready, which is exactly what the world has seen. Whether it was in the Red Sea with the Houthies, whether it was Midnight Hammer, whether it was Southern Spear, Southern Python, Maduro, absolute result,” Hegseth stressed.

By Jeyhun Aghazada