Thailand hosts thousands of US troops for annual ‘Cobra Gold’ drills

RAYONG, Thailand, Feb 28 (Reuters) – Thailand and the United States kicked off on Tuesday military exercises involving more than 7,000 personnel and forces from 30 countries, with the annual drills including a component focused on space exercises for the first time. “Cobra Gold”, launched in 1982, is one of the world’s longest-running multilateral military exercises and the biggest in Southeast Asia, serving as a key platform for Washington to shore up alliances in Asia at a time of increasing competition with China. After the drills were scaled back during the pandemic, nearly 6,000 U.S. troops will take part this…