US, Thailand Naval Exercise in Andaman Sea
The U.S. Navy (USN) and the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) kicked off Exercise Guardian Sea, Andaman Sea comprising bilateral naval training drills that aim to enhance cooperation in the fields of anti-submarine warfare and maritime domain awareness.
Exercise 'Guardian Sea' in 2016 will also feature a shore phase with seminars and exchanges between subject-matter experts from both navies. The drills allow the navies to practice procedures related to anti-submarine warfar.
Exercise Guardian Sea includes personnel from the U.S. 7th Fleet’s Task Force 73 and Destroyer Squadron 7 and features the guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem, a P-8A Poseidon aircraft and a Los Angeles-class submarine operating alongside Thai ships and aircraft, a Navy statement said.
Capt. H.B. Le, commodore of Destroyer Squadron 7, called this year’s exercise “the most complex to date.”
“Guardian Sea provides our navies the opportunity and challenge of detecting and tracking submarines, and to practice procedures related to anti-submarine warfare,” Le said in the statement.
The drills involve His Thai Majesty's Ship (HTMS) Chakri Naruebet, HTMS Taksin and HTMS Naresuan of the Thai navy.
The exercise will include a short shore phase featuring seminars and exchanges between subject-matter experts from both navies.