Thailand and US troops prepare for scaled down 'Cobra Gold' exercises as Myanmar booted out due to its political issues

FILE PHOTO: US army soldier stands next to the military vehicle during opening ceremony of Cobra Gold, Asia's largest annual multilateral military exercise, outside Bangkok, Thailand February 13, 2018. - Reuters

BANGKOK, Feb 20 (Reuters): An annual joint military exercise between the United States and Thailand kicked off on Sunday on a reduced scale compared to pre-pandemic times, with traditional war games absent from a two-week programme of largely humanitarian training drills.

"Cobra Gold", which was launched in 1982, is the world longest-running multinational military exercise and serves as a key platform for the United States to shore up alliances in Asia at a time of increasing competition with China.