Thailand to join Cope Tiger exercise with Singapore and US air force
Thailand will join the Cope Tiger 2017 exercise, which will also bring together air force personnel from the United States and Singapore, from March 20-31.
Cope Tiger is an annual multilateral aerial exercise aimed at improving combat readiness and multinational interoperability between Singapore Air Force, Royal Thai Air Force, and US Air Force, while concurrently enhancing the strong defence relations among the three countries.
Some 220 US personnel will join in the exercise along with approximately 1,000 service members from Thailand and Singapore. The multilateral exercise will involve a combined total of 76 aircraft and other air defence assets from the three participating countries.
The exercise will also include humanitarian civic assistance and cultural exchange programmes in Nakhon Ratchasima and Lop Buri, including mobile medical care and dental care units, donations of sports equipment, and a lunch with schoolchildren.
The trilateral Humanitarian Civic Assistance programmes conducted during Cope Tiger 2017 will help promote good relationships between the three countries’ forces and Thai communities near Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base.
The annual Cope Tiger exercise series aims to demonstrate US commitment to its partners and the region and to address regional security challenges while ensuring freedom of the seas through multilateral collaboration.