KORAT ROYAL THAI AIR FORCE BASE, Thailand -- U.S. Marines, Navy and Air Force, Royal Thai Air Force, and Republic of Singapore Air Force personnel officially brought exercise Cope Tiger 2009 to an end here March 20.
This is the 15th year Cope Tiger has brought U.S., Thai, and Singaporean forces together to strengthen their current relationship through participation in various multilateral joint and combined air-to-air and air-to-ground training scenarios.
Supporting the exercise, were Iwakuni-based pilots and maintenance personnel of Marine Aircraft Group 12, Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 224, and Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12.
“Cope Tiger was a good experience for all the players,” said Capt. Grant Moody, a VMFA (AW )-224 F/A-18 Hornet pilot. “We got to come out to Thailand and experience their culture and at the same time get some valuable training.”
A combined force of approximately 2,300 service members from the U.S., Thailand, and Singapore were brought together here to participate in Cope Tiger 2009.
The relationships, communication, and the teamwork developed through the large force trilateral training conducted by participating service members during the exercise, were the most important outcomes all Cope Tiger participants could benefit from, Moody said.
Trilateral training conducted during this year’s exercise included tactical airdrop training, close air support training, search and rescue procedure training, and air refueling training.
“We have never had as many aircraft before,” said Royal Thai Air Force Squadron Leader Uritsana Suudee, the Wing 1 safety officer and 102 Fighter Interceptor Squadron pilot. “Cope Tiger provided a great opportunity to practice and improve Thai tactical skills.”
Suudee said this years Cope Tiger brought new technology and new tactics and that he looks forward to bigger and more complex scenarios in the future Cope Tiger exercises.
While Cope Tiger 2009’s main portion focused on trilateral in-flight interoperability training, it also focused on humanitarian and civic assistance with visits and donations to schools, orphanages, local churches and homeless shelters.
Donations during the humanitarian and civic assistance portion of the exercise included monetary donations, ceiling fans, food, books, bookshelves, computers, general health and optometric services.
Moody said that through participation in future Cope Tiger exercises he believes bonds between the participating nations will continue to grow stronger.
Exercise Cope Tiger ran from March 9 to March 20.