SINGAPORE: An international officer from Germany, Lieutenant-Colonel Illner Wolfgang Paul, and a female international officer from the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, MAJ Wan Shahlimar Suhaili, are among the 125 graduates from the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) 39th Command and Staff Course.

For the first time, there were officers from Germany, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Thailand and the United States.

They are now part of the distinguished alumni of 155 friends from 23 countries who have attended the course since 1984.

Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean, who presented the certificates to the course participants, said that in an increasingly interconnected world, threats could come from unexpected sources and directions.

For instance, the ease of air travel has allowed viral outbreaks to leap across continents, and failed or unstable states in one region could become safe havens for terrorists to mount attacks in other regions.

Mr Teo stressed that in many cases, such challenges cannot be addressed by a single country acting on its own. International cooperation and action is required.

The nine-month Command and Staff Course is the highest level of formal military education offered in Singapore. It prepares officers for senior command and staff appointments in the SAF.

-CNA/yt