French Minister for Defence Michele Alliot-Marie and Singapore Defence Minister Tony Tan witnessed the signing of the memorandum of understanding on the sidelines of a security conference of Asia-Pacific countries and key western allies.

The laboratory, with an initial funding of two million Singapore dollars (1.16 million US), will be launched in France in November.

It will be a partnership between Singapore's Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) and France's leading aerospace research agency ONERA.

Other partners are the National University of Singapore and leading French university Supelec. The laboratory will be administered as a unit of Supelec and located at its Gif-sur-Yvette campus near Paris.

DSTA chairman and permanent secretary for defence Peter Ho said the initial focus for research will be in the areas of electromagnetics and radar.

"In the future, research may be expanded to other important areas like aerodynamics," Ho said in a speech at the signing ceremonies here.

"Singapore and France are good friends. We share many common outlooks. We have worked together to strengthen links between Europe and Asia," he said.

Ho described France as a "major partner" in defence technology for the small but affluent Southest Asian city-state.

DSTA is currently working with European naval shipbuilder DCN and French research laboratories on the design and development of the new stealth frigates for the Singapore navy, he said.

France and Singapore have also cooperated on research and development in areas like chemical and biological defence and underwater technologies.

On Friday, Alliot-Marie met with Defence Minister Tan and Education Minister Teo Chee Hean, who will become defence minister on August 1.

She will call on Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew on Saturday and attend the Asia Security Conference sponsored by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies.

WAR.WIRE