KORAT ROYAL THAI AIR FORCE BASE, Thailand -- U.S. Marines, Navy and Air Force, Royal Thai Air Force, and Republic of Singapore Air Force aviation units began Exercise Cope Tiger 2009 here Monday.
Cope Tiger is an annual multilateral joint and combined field training exercise conducted to improve U.S., Thai and Singapore readiness and interoperability with an overall participation of approximately 2,300 service members.
Supporting the exercise are Iwakuni-based pilots and maintenance personnel of Marine Aircraft Group 12, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (All Weather) 224, and Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12.
Major Thomas Smolenski, MAG-12 officer-incharge, said the exercise is done to conduct combined force training alongside Thai and Singaporean service members, which is useful in fostering a good working relationship.
Cope Tiger includes dissimilar basic fighting maneuver training, close air support training, tactical airdrop training and large force employment training.
Mission planning and in-flight interoperability training involving air-to-air combat missions conducted by two opposing joint aviation elements from each of the participating countries is also planned.
Smolenski said the interoperability training is slated to begin with one aircraft versus one aircraft and quickly build up to two versus two which will culminate into the last portion of the exercise involving approximately 60 aircraft.
The training conducted during Cope Tiger allows participating personnel to break free from their comfort zone and gives the service members an opportunity to work in new environments where they get to train with other forces, Smolenski said.
While Exercise Cope Tiger focuses on the combat air-toair and air-to-ground missions carried out by the fighter pilots, safety and maintenance personnel working on the flightline and on the aircraft also benefit from the training conducted during the exercise.
Sgt. Brandon Domel, a power plant mechanic with VMFA (AW )-224, said the exercise provides the mechanics and safety personnel with good experiences to see how the Thai Landers and Singaporeans work different aspects of their jobs.
Working alongside the Thais and Singaporeans also presents the American service members with the opportunity to test their skills against professional pilots of other nations.
Humanitarian and community relations projects have been slated to take place during the exercise to further strengthen and promote the existing relationship between the United States and its participating allies.
Service members slated to participate in the community relations projects will donate their time and efforts during scheduled visits to local Thai orphanages and schools where they will pass out toys and school supplies to children.
Domel said that while the exercise offers good training, it also presents a great opportunity to strengthen good relations with allies.
This year marks the 15th year all three nations have conducted Exercise Cope Tiger.