Singapore and Thai Armies Conclude 25th Edition of Exercise Kocha Singa

Chief of Staff - General Staff, Brigadier General Wong Shi Ming (left) and Royal Thai Army’s (RTA) Assistant Chief of Army, General Narongrit Kumpeera (right) co-officiating the opening ceremony of Exercise Kocha Singa.

The Hunter Armoured Fighting Vehicle (AFV) manoevring in SAFTI City during the joint field training exercise.

Personnel from the Singapore Army and the RTA conducting urban operations training.

Personnel from the Singapore Army and the RTA training with the Hunter AFV simulator.

Exercise Kocha Singa was successfully conducted by the Singapore Army and the Royal Thai Army (RTA) in Singapore from 8 to 14 January 2026. Hosted by Headquarters 8th Singapore Armoured Brigade and 42nd Battalion, Singapore Armoured Regiment, the 25th edition of this exercise involved approximately 720 personnel from the Singapore Army and RTA’s 3rd Infantry Battalion from the 29th Infantry Brigade.

Exercise Kocha Singa saw both armies conducting professional exchanges in various domains, including urban operations, live firing, and digital map planning, as well as experiencing the Hunter Armoured Fighting Vehicle simulator. The field training exercise culminated in a joint battalion-level assault, which was held in SAFTI City for the first time for Exercise Kocha Singa.

The opening ceremony was co-officiated by the Singapore Army’s Chief of Staff - General Staff, Brigadier General (BG) Wong Shi Ming and the RTA’s Assistant Chief of Army, General Narongrit Kumpeera. In his opening address, BG Wong highlighted the significance of the 25th edition of Exercise Kocha Singa. He said, “This milestone is a testament to the close and longstanding bilateral defence relationship between our armies, founded on years of robust cooperation, and professional exchanges.”

First held in 1997, Exercise Kocha Singa underscores the close and long-standing bilateral defence relations between Singapore and Thailand. Apart from bilateral exercises, both armies also interact regularly through high-level visits, professional exchanges, and the cross-attendance of courses.