Korean landing ship departs for Cobra Gold exercise

Sailors and marines wave as the Navy landing ship Ilchulbong sets sail from Jinhae Naval Base in South Gyeongsang on Wednesday afternoon. [YONHAP]

Korea’s Navy and Marine Corps will participate in a multinational humanitarian exercise due to begin in Thailand later this month, defense officials said Wednesday.

The Navy dispatched the Ilchulbong, a 4,900-ton Cheonwangbong-class landing ship, on Wednesday to Thailand to join the Cobra Gold exercise, which will take place from Feb. 27 and March. 10 in the Thai provinces of Lopburi, Chanthaburi, Sa Kaeo and Rayong.

The annual exercise, launched in 1982, is led by the U.S. and Thai militaries.

Aboard the Ilchulbong are 420 Korean military personnel as well as six amphibious assault vehicles, two K-808 armored vehicles, two K5-5 self-propelled howitzers and a K-77 fire direction center vehicle.

Korean troops are expected to participate in a various field exercises, including amphibious landing drills with Thai and U.S. troops and special operations training.

This year’s Cobra Gold exercise will consist of three main components: a staff exercise, which includes a senior leader seminar, humanitarian civic assistance and a field training exercise incorporating a variety of training events to strengthen regional relationships and enhance interoperability.

“The Cobra Gold exercise will enhance multinational combined operations and overseas civil affairs operations and presents a good opportunity to improve military cooperation with participating countries,” Navy Capt. Kim Tae-yeol, head of the Korean contingent, was quoted as saying in a Defense Ministry press release.

Thailand said 7,394 troops from 30 countries would participate as exercise partners or observers in this year’s edition of Cobra Gold.

The seven main partners in the exercise are the United States, Thailand, Korea, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia and Malaysia.

India, China and Australia are also set to participate to a limited extent during the humanitarian assistance activities.

Col. Kurt Leffler, the U.S. defense attaché in Thailand, said the United States “will bring more than 6,000 personnel to participate in exercise Cobra Gold – the largest U.S. participation in Cobra Gold in a decade.”

“In terms of scope, quantity and complexity of exercise events, this Cobra Gold will surpass what has come before,” Leffler told a news conference at the headquarters of the Thai Armed Forces, adding that this year’s exercise prioritizes cyber and space training.

“We have brought cooperation in the cyber and space domains into the exercise, and are experimenting with new operating concepts to prepare for whatever novel threats the future holds,” he said.

Korea first took part in Cobra Gold in 2010 after attending it as an observer from 2002 to 2009.

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]