U.S., Thailand, Singapore prepare for Exercise Cope Tiger

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HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii (AFPN) --  Aviation and ground units from the U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps, Royal Thai Air Force and Army, and Republic of Singapore Air Force will participate in the Exercise Cope Tiger 2008 field training exercise in Thailand Jan. 26 to Feb. 5. 

Cope Tiger is an annual, multilateral large force exercise conducted in the Asia-Pacific region and is the only multilateral field training exercise held in Thailand. It takes place at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base near the city of Nakhom Ratchasima (commonly called Korat), 110 miles northeast of Bangkok, and Udon Thani Royal Thai Air Force Base. 

More than 1,400 people will participate in the exercise, including approximately 700 U.S. servicemembers and 700 servicemembers from Thailand and Singapore forces. The exercise includes 121 aircraft and air defense units: 35 aircraft and 11 air defense artillery weapons and sensors from RTAF; 10 ADA weapons and sensors from RTA; 22 aircraft and 11 ADA weapons and sensors from RSAF; and 28 aircraft from the U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps.

Participating U.S. Air Force units include the 3rd Air Support Operations Squadron, Fort Wainwright, Alaska; 3rd Wing's 962nd Airborne Air Control Squadron, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska; the 51st Fighter Wing's 25th Fighter Squadron, Osan Air Base, South Korea; the 18th Wing's 909th Air Refueling Squadron, 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron, and 18th Communication Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan; the 15th Airlift Wing's 535th Airlift Squadron, Hickam AFB, Hawaii; the 374th Airlift Wing's 36th Airlift Squadron, Yokota AB, Japan. Participating U.S. Marine Corps units include Marine Air Group 12, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 212, Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan; and Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152, MCAS Futenma, Okinawa.
 
U.S. aircraft participating in Cope Tiger 2008 include A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, E-3B Sentry Airborne Warning and Control Systems, KC-135 Stratotankers, C-130 and KC-130 Hercules, C-17 Globemaster IIIs, and F/A-18C Hornets. 

Cope Tiger 2008 is a Thai- and U.S.-sponsored multilateral joint and combined field training exercise, and humanitarian/civic assistance exercise. Cope Tiger enhances combined readiness and interoperability, reinforces U.S. commitment to the Southeast Asian region, and demonstrates our capability to project combined and joint forces strategically in a multilateral environment. 

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