Cobra Gold ramp-up reflects growing tensions with China’s military

[webfact]

Cobra Gold ramp-up reflects growing tensions with China’s military

By Wasamon Audjarint 
The Nation

 

ADM Harry Harris meets PM Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha on Thursday

 

Against the background of China’s increasing power and assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific, the United States is seeking to intensify Cobra Gold, the largest regional joint military exercise, that is annually hosted by Thailand.
 

“I believe that Cobra Gold should look for ways to increase the complexity and scope of the exercise every year because we work closely with Thai allies in military space,” ADM Harry Harris, Commander to the US Pacific Command, told reporters at the Defence Ministry on Thursday.

 

“This year, we’ve increased the US level of participation in Cobra Gold by over 2,000 from last year, [affecting] the scale and type of individual exercises,” he continued. “What we’re doing in Cobra Gold [exercises] helps multiple countries to improve their readiness to fight.”

 

Due to close on Friday with Harris in attendance, this year’s Cobra kicked off last Tuesday in Chonburi with the principle participation of seven countries including Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. China and India have partial participation through the rescue and relief drills. Myanmar’s Tatmadaw military force was invited as an observer, prompting international criticism due to its role in the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya minority group in Rakhine State.

 

The 2018 exercise is also marked by the highest number of US troops participating in years, at 6,800 – nearly double last year’s 3,600.

 

Cobra Gold was scaled down after the 2014 military coup, but that has changed since Donald Trump took office last year. Harris made a high-profile attendance last year to demonstrate the Trump administration’s engagement with the Thai military government.

 

On Thursday, Harris met with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan and Supreme Commander General Thanchaiyan Srisuwan to “strengthen military-to-military ties to increase understanding and lessen chances of miscalculation”.

 

According to his testimony to the US Congress last April, Harris is convinced that the US should “engage more, not less, on Thai military leadership” and that “Thailand is committed to a return to democracy with national elections in 2018”.

 

“[This is] the best way for the US to promote security and healthy civil-military relations in Thailand,” he said before the House Armed Services Committee.

 

In the meeting on Thursday, Harris emphasised cooperation between the two nations on intelligence, anti-terrorism and support at the United Nations.

 

Referring to the promised-but-frequently-delayed election, Deputy Government Spokesperson Lt-General Werachon Sukondhapatipak said: “The US Commander also expressed an understanding of Thailand’s willingness to support the process to strong and sustainable democracy following the roadmap.”

 

Nominated as the next US ambassador to Australia by President Trump, Harris is known for his outspoken remarks on the US policy in Asia Pacific, and particularly on China’s roles.

 

Shortly before his visit to Thailand, Harris pointed voiced concern that China may “undermine the international rules-based order”, possibly referring to the contentious South China Sea issue.

 

While the US makes no national territorial claims regarding the sea, allowing China to have power over it would mean obstacles to freedom of navigation and overflights due to Beijing’s militarisation in the disputed areas.

 

The presence of the US in the Indo-Pacific matters in the final resolution of the South China Sea dispute. The US Army holds more than 1,500 military exercises in the Asia-Pacific region each year. Significant joint, combined and other smaller military exercises take place annually with treaty allies in Asia Pacific Japan, Korea, Australia, Thailand and the Philippines.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30339519

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-02-23

[lincolnshire poacher]

And net year, Cobra Gold intends to invade China

[Srikcir]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

“I believe that Cobra Gold should look for ways to increase the complexity and scope of the exercise every year because we work closely with Thai allies in military space,”

TRANSLATION:

We don't want to have to shoot down Thai air force in the next conflict if we can avoid it.

PS: We have a dozen REAL air craft carriers.

[PatOngo]

41 minutes ago, lincolnshire poacher said:

And net year, Cobra Gold intends to invade China

 

...........using Chinese tanks and submarines.

[SupermarineS6B]

Ha ha........ it gets better........ The last time America fought a war in the region Thailand only supplied mercenaries paid for by the US...... The time before that one they invited the japs in, the time before that one they were warned that if they didn't stop trading with Germany that Britain and France would take their country....... hence the grand victory monument to the 19 dead of WW1 ( Not quite a third of the road casualties in Thailand daily).........Honestly ?    The biggest danger you'll encounter here if war breaks out is all the medals flying through the air as the military sheds its uniforms ......... as i witnessed the police doing in the last coup, running up the street doing a strip tease chased by the army....... Don't worry America, going on previous performance all the bars will be re opened in a flash to cater for the troops......

Edited February 23, 2018 by SupermarineS6B

[lincolnshire poacher]

15 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

 

...........using Chinese tanks and submarines.

Of course

[observer90210]

Each of the countries involved in the playground display of high tech toys, could have significantly fought poverty , lack of clean water etc. within their borders, considering what these war games (and the related toys) cost on a daily operationnal basis. 

 

As usual,  the self proclaimed specialists in international policies will rant that there are other geo-political issues at stake, so who gives a damm for poverty, should it be in the East or the West.

Edited February 23, 2018 by observer90210

[Lupatria]

1 hour ago, lincolnshire poacher said:

And net year, Cobra Gold intends to invade China

Maybe its the other way around once China's railway to the Indian Ocean is completed?

[SupermarineS6B]

1 hour ago, Srikcir said:

TRANSLATION:

We don't want to have to shoot down Thai air force in the next conflict if we can avoid it.

PS: We have a dozen REAL air craft carriers.

Why not ?  We shot them all down last time, i believe they even lasted an afternoon......... I read a great account of a B29 bombing Khlong Toey docks ( Full of Jap ships) so the Thai airforce jumped into its Japanese supplied aircraft and thought they were going to have a field day, oooops, they forgot that bombers are usually escorted by fighters, Mustangs in this case......... Voila !  not one returned home......... turned into som tam.........

Edited February 23, 2018 by SupermarineS6B

[kaorop]

1 hour ago, observer90210 said:

Each of the countries involved in the playground display of high tech toys, could have significantly fought poverty , lack of clean water etc. within their borders, considering what these war games (and the related toys) cost on a daily operationnal basis. 

 

As usual,  the self proclaimed specialists in international policies will rant that there are other geo-political issues at stake, so who gives a damm for poverty, should it be in the East or the West.

But wheres the fun in that? Improving the human condition never appears on thier radar. Improving thier bank balances and playing childish war games with possible devestating consequences for this whole planet is fun, to interlectual dullards.

 

[YetAnother]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Against the background of China’s increasing power and assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific, the United States is seeking to intensify Cobra Gold, the largest regional joint military exercise, that is annually hosted by Thailand.

china is not looking to militarily fight the usa; they are looking at economic dominance;

seems they have a fair shot at it;

number of novels have been written illustrating ways china can shut down that strategic oil corridor thru the south china sea, and they seem on the brink of that

[PerkinsCuthbert]

Lol. Tell me who is the greater threat to peace, China or America?:

 

"The US has never had a decade without war. Since its founding in 1776 the US has been at war 93% of the time. These wars have extended from its own hemisphere, to the Pacific, to Europe and most recently to the Middle East. The US has launched 201 out of 248 armed conflicts since the end of WWII. In recent decades most of these wars have been unsuccessful. The US maintains 700 military bases or sites around the world including in Australia. In our own region, mainly to contain China and North Korea, it has massive deployment of hardware and troops in Japan, the ROK and Guam.

The US has been extensively meddling in other countries’ affairs and elections for a century. It tried to change other countries’ governments 72 times during the cold war."

 

The article continues. Full article here: http://johnmenadue.com/john-menadue-we-are-in-denial-about-the-risks-in-our-relationship-with-the-united-states-part-1-of-2/

[Cadbury]

The Thai military these days are basically cowards as they have been in the past. Not much different to when the French and the Japanese arrived on the scene when they promptly rolled over. They showed a bit of token courage when the Vietnamese came down down through Laos. The Thais panicked thinking they would be next in line. The rest is history.

Can anyone in their wildest dreams imagine Generals Prayut and Prawit gallantly leading the charge against any invader? All Thais can sleep in peace knowing these two highly decorated and battle experienced soldiers are guarding over them.

 

[Media1]

3 hours ago, SupermarineS6B said:

Ha ha........ it gets better........ The last time America fought a war in the region Thailand only supplied mercenaries paid for by the US...... The time before that one they invited the japs in, the time before that one they were warned that if they didn't stop trading with Germany that Britain and France would take their country....... hence the grand victory monument to the 19 dead of WW1 ( Not quite a third of the road casualties in Thailand daily).........Honestly ?    The biggest danger you'll encounter here if war breaks out is all the medals flying through the air as the military sheds its uniforms ......... as i witnessed the police doing in the last coup, running up the street doing a strip tease chased by the army....... Don't worry America, going on previous performance all the bars will be re opened in a flash to cater for the troops......

Yes imposters

[bangrak]

What? What? We bought your useless heavy tanks, we bought your obsolete submarines, we plan to buy... (hush, it's a secret) from you, and we must read about 'growing tensions' with you? What should we do? Give you the sovereignty over our country, like Tibet and others, now, at once? Can't we wait for our dictator to give you that just before he retires? Ha, you Chinese have no patience!

[Chris Lawrence]

The girls in Pattaya have Chinese take away and big hot dogs from this venture. Yee Haaa

[surangw]

China losing face over this ?

 

[Henrik Andersen]

Meaby that's mean Chinese tourist is out of Thailand too ???