Singapore and Royal Thai Army Strengthen Ties Through Exercise Kocha Singa 17

Chief of Army Major-General (MG) Melvyn Ong and Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army (RTA) General (GEN) Chalermchai Sitthisad co-officiated at the closing ceremony for the 19th edition of Exercise Kocha Singa at the Murai Urban Training Facility (MUTF) this morning.

Held in Singapore from 22 to 31 May 2017, the annual bilateral exercise involved more than 800 personnel from the 41st Battalion Singapore Armoured Regiment (41 SAR) and Headquarters 8th Singapore Armoured Brigade (HQ 8 SAB), and the 1st Infantry Battalion from the RTA’s 14th Infantry Regiment.

The exercise featured urban operations training, as well as live-firing at the Multi-Mission Range Complex (MMRC), and culminated in a combined battalion-level field training exercise at the MUTF. In his closing speech, MG Ong said, "The success of the exercise demonstrated the high level of professionalism and interoperability between the Singapore Army and the Royal Thai Army. This bears testament to the mutual trust and rapport between the commanders and soldiers of our two armies."

Exercise Kocha Singa, which was first conducted in 1997, underscores the close and long-standing bilateral defence ties between Singapore and Thailand. Apart from bilateral exercises, both armies also interact regularly through visits, professional exchanges and courses.