Cobra Gold military exercise ends with a live-fire drill
More than 600 soldiers joined a live-fire drill as this year’s Cobra Gold military exercise – the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia – ended on Friday.
The “combined arms live fire exercise” took place at the Artillery Centre in Lopburi province’s Phatthana Nikhom district.
A total of 609 military personnel from Thailand, the United States, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia took part in the live-fire exercise. Drills included strategic parachuting, sniping, aerial strikes, artillery preparation and supporting fire, assault operations, and medical evacuations.
F-16 jet fighters, BTR armoured vehicles, AH-64E Apache helicopters, and Himars multiple rocket launchers were used in the drill, a press release from the Royal Thai Armed Forces said.
General Chalermphon Srisawasdi, Royal Thai Armed Forces Chief of Defense Forces, and Maj-General Stephen Smith, commander of the US 7th Infantry Division, jointly presided over the closing ceremony on Friday.
Military commanders from Cobra Gold participating countries joined their Thai counterparts at the event.
The 2023 Cobra Gold drew military personnel from 30 countries. It kicked off on February 28 at the Royal Thai Naval Air Base in Rayong province. This year’s event drew 7,394 personnel, about 6,000 of whom were Americans.
Cobra Gold is held annually in Thailand and co-hosted by the Royal Thai Armed Forces and the US Indo-Pacific Command. It encourages the exchange of military know-how, doctrine, and technology while broadening the experience of Thai and allied forces in joint and multilateral operations, according to the Thai military’s press release.
