One of the Asia-Pacific region's largest and longest-standing multinational military exercises kicked off Tuesday on Thailand's east coast, with a total of 9,590 personnel from 30 countries taking part.
The annual Cobra Gold drill, being held in Rayong province and some other parts of the country through March 8, is aimed at enhancing interoperability, strengthening relationships among participating nations, as well as handling cyber security threats and national disasters.
Co-hosted by Thailand and the United States, the exercises are being held on a full scale for the second consecutive year after being scaled down in 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The United States is sending over 4,200 personnel this year while Japan is sending about 190 personnel, up from some 150 last year.
Singapore, Indonesia, South Korea and Malaysia are also participating in the full exercises while China, India and Australia are joining on a limited basis.
At the opening ceremony at Utapao Navy Camp Base in Rayong, U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Robert Godec said the drill will prepare the participating nations for a multinational response to "new and emerging challenges" that are complex and that no single country can solve alone.
"Only through cooperation can we rise to these challenges and keep our people safe by providing a solid foundation for regional security and inclusive prosperity," Godec said.
As part of this year's exercises, the Royal Thai Navy and the U.S. Navy will conduct a joint salvage operation for a Thai navy ship named Sukhothai that sank in the Gulf of Thailand in December 2022. The incident killed 24 crew members and left five missing.
This year's drill is the 43rd of its kind. Cobra Gold exercises have been held since 1982.
