_and_embarked_elements_of_26th_Marine_Expeditionary_Unit_(MEU),_arrive_in_Souda_Harbor.jpg) |
| USS Ashland (LSD 48) |
A forward-deployed force of U.S. Marines and sailors aboard amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD-48) arrived Sunday in Thailand to participate in the 45th iteration of Exercise Cobra Gold.
“We are honored to arrive in the Kingdom of Thailand and participate in Cobra Gold alongside our Royal Thai Navy counterparts and multinational partners,” said U.S. Navy Cmdr. Adam Peeples, commanding officer of Ashland, in a Marine Corps release. “Cobra Gold provides a vital opportunity to strengthen interoperability, reinforce longstanding relationships and demonstrate our shared commitment to the Indo-Pacific.”
The sailors and Marines make up Task Force Ashland – approximately 200 Marines and sailors from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, and Combat Logistics Regiment 17, operating alongside nearly 400 sailors assigned to Ashland. The task force’s participation brings “a purpose-built amphibious force” to Cobra Gold 26, demonstrating a flexible and adaptive model of naval expeditionary presence that is tailored to maintain regional presence and build partner capacity, reads the Marine Corps release.
“Task Force Ashland is more than a partnership. It’s a statement of commitment forged in the crucible of realism,” U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Matt Bride, commander of Task Force Ashland troops, said in the release. “Here at Cobra Gold 26, we are sharpening the spear and honing the cutting edge of our combined military power. These alliances aren’t just on paper – they’re built on the sweat and shared determination of our Marines, sailors, partners and allies, creating an unshakeable foundation for regional security that potential adversaries will recognize.”
Throughout the exercise, Task Force Ashland will engage in training events designed to enhance multilateral cooperation and readiness. Key drills will include a complex amphibious assault, a dynamic combined arms live-fire exercise and rigorous jungle warfare training. Additionally, the task force will participate in a non-combatant evacuation operation exercise and a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear subject matter expert exchange.
Co-sponsored by the Royal Thai Armed Forces and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the annual Cobra Gold exercise is the largest joint military exercise in mainland Asia, according to the release. The exercise began Tuesday and will conclude March 6. This year’s iteration will involve more than 8,000 personnel from 30 participating countries.
Task Force Ashland departed Jan. 23 from Naval Base San Diego, according to a 15th MEU social media post. It is unclear how long the group will operate in the region.
The Japan-based Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group and 31st MEU are expected to take part in the Iron Fist 26 exercise in southwest Japan, which began Monday.
Monday at Camp Hansen in Okinawa, Japan, U.S. Marines and sailors with the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) and the 31st MEU joined members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) for the opening ceremony of Exercise Iron Fist 26. The exercise will see 2,400 Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and 1,800 U.S. sailors train alongside elements of the JGSDF, including the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade (ARDB) in an annual bilateral training event focused on strengthening interoperability and enhancing combined amphibious capabilities, according to a Marine Corps news release.
“Our fidelity to our Japanese allies is an ironclad combat pact,” Brig. Gen. Ryan Hoyle, commanding general of the 3rd MEB, said in the release. “We stand shoulder-to-shoulder, an unbreakable wall against any who would challenge the stability of this region.”
The nearly three-week exercise will feature bilateral planning to improve preparedness through real-world amphibious training, according to the release.
The drills will focus on advanced marksmanship, amphibious reconnaissance, fire and maneuver assaults, bilateral logistics and medical support, and fire support operations such as mortars, artillery and close-air support. A key training event – a bilateral amphibious operation – will be conducted March 2 on the island of Tanegashima.
The annual Iron Fist joint exercise originally began in 2006 and was held at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., but the exercise was moved in 2023 to southwest Japan as part of a U.S. effort to deter conflict in the region.
No comments:
Post a Comment
How did you like the post, leave a comment. I would appreciate hearing from you all. Best wishes from JC's Naval, Maritime and Military News