Singapore, Thailand Renew Cobra Gold Commitment

SINGAPORE and Thailand renewed their shared commitment to strengthening defence cooperation by signing the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the participation of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in Exercise Cobra Gold on the sidelines of the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue.

The agreement was signed by Singapore’s Chief of Defence Force (CDF) Vice Admiral Aaron Beng and his Thai counterpart General Ukris Boontanondha. Speaking at the signing ceremony, VAdm Beng said, “The Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF) participation has enabled us to learn and adapt best practices from our fellow participants, and we are proud to be part of the largest and longest-running multilateral exercise in Southeast Asia.”

With the renewed agreement, Singapore will participate in Cobra Gold for the next five years and introduces new provisions that reflect both armed forces’ shared commitment to the safety and security of civilians and the protection of the environment during training activities.

Held jointly by the Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF) and US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), Cobra Gold is the  largest and longest-running multilateral exercise in Asia, recently marking its 45th iteration.

Cobra Gold consists of 7 core participants which are Thailand, the US, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea while Australia, China and India are additional participants.  Singapore has been a full participant of the exercise since 2000.–shp/adj/dl (Pix:SG MINDEF)