US soldiers participate in the Cobra Gold 2013 (Source: AFP/VNA) Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand and the US will launch the joint drill Cobra Gold 2018, the biggest annual multilateral exercise in Asia-Pacific, from February 13 to 23 next year, announced the Royal Thai Armed Forces on October 19.
The exercise will include more than 12,000 military personnel from 29 countries. The US will bring the largest number of soldiers with 5,800, followed by Thailand with 5,600 and the Republic of Korea (RoK) with 200. Meanwhile, China and India will send 44 personnel each.
The drill will be held at the army’s Surathampitak and Suranaree camps and the air force’s Wing 1 in Nakhon Ratchasima province.
The seven nations participating in all activities of the exercise will be the US, Thailand, Singapore, the RoK, Indonesia, Japan and Malaysia while 10 other countries will attend as observers. India and China will also join the exercise, but the role of those two countries has yet to be revealed.
The US will mobilise six F-16CM, ten F-18D jets and four C-130 military transport aircraft. The US amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard will also participate.-VNA
