▲ A KAAV amphibious assault vehicle is loaded onto the ROKS Nojeokbong landing ship on Feb. 10, 2026, ahead of its departure for Thailand for the Cobra Gold exercise, in this photo provided by the Navy. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Navy-drills

S. Korea to join multinational Cobra Gold drills in Thailand

SEOUL, Feb. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Navy and Marine Corps troops will take part in the multinational Cobra Gold drills in Thailand in efforts to enhance interoperability with forces from around the world, military officials said.

Some 390 personnel were set to depart a key naval base in Busan, about 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul, later in the day to join the annual exercise co-hosted by the United States and Thailand, according to the officials.

This year's exercise, set to run from Feb. 23 to March 6, will bring together troops from 10 countries, including Singapore, Japan, Indonesia and Malaysia.

South Korea will deploy the 4,900-ton ROKS Nojeokbong landing ship, alongside five KAAV amphibious assault vehicles, two K-55A1 self-propelled howitzers and one K-30W Chunho wheeled anti-aircraft gun. It is the first time the Chunho is being mobilized for overseas drills since its deployment.

Troops will take part in an array of joint drills, ranging from amphibious landing and live-fire, as well as special operations drills, to combined space and cyber defense drills.

As part of the exercise, troops will also join humanitarian assistance and disaster relief drills to familiarize themselves with response measures in disaster situations and build a school auditorium for Thai students.

Launched in 1982, the Cobra Gold exercise focuses on training multinational forces for a range of military and humanitarian procedures.

South Korea has formally taken part in the exercise since 2010 after attending it as an observer from 2002 to 2009.

(END)

[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]