More than 6,000 US troops in Thailand for joint military drills amid China threat
- The countries launched an amphibious operation as Washington seeks to strengthen military alliances in the region in the face of an assertive China
- Cobra Gold is one of the biggest joint multilateral military exercises in the world that pulls together the security interests of the US and six Asian nations
Thousands of US soldiers joined Thai and South Korean troops on a beach in Thailand on Friday for one of the largest annual military exercises in Asia.
Now in its 42nd year, Cobra Gold brings thousands of forces from the United States, Thailand and other countries together for days of training.
Washington has sought to strengthen military alliances in the region in the face of an assertive China.
American, Thai and South Korean soldiers launched a joint amphibious operation near a navy base in the east of the country, in which jet fighters screamed overhead and tanks rumbled over the sand.
Personnel from Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan also took part in the exercises, which span air, land and sea, and feature a jungle survival course.
With around 6,000 members, the US delegation was more than four times the size of the contingent sent in 2022.