From left; acting U.S. ambassador Peter Haymond; Royal Thai Armed Forces Gen. Pornpipat Benyasri; Lt. Gen. Gary J. Volesky, commander of U.S. Army First Corps and representing U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, salute during the opening ceremony of the joint military exercise Cobra Gold 2019, Feb. 12, 2019. (Photo: Royal Thai Armed Forced Headquarters via AP)

Seven nations in addition to Thailand and the US are active participants: Singapore, Japan, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and South Korea.

The aim of the exercise is to strengthen cooperation and inter-operability, said Peter Haymond, the acting head of the US diplomatic mission in Thailand. There are three major components of the exercise, will end on February 22: military field training, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief training.