Ships from the U.S. and the Royal Thai Navy kicked off the Exercise Guardian Sea in the Andaman Sea on May 23.
The bilateral naval training in which the two navies will hone skills in anti-submarine warfare and maritime domain awareness is set to last until May 27.
This year’s Guardian Sea exercise features the Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem, a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol craft and a Los Angeles-class submarine operating alongside ships and aircraft from the Royal Thai Navy. Navy personnel from the U.S. 7th Fleet and Destroyer Squadron 7 will also participate in the exercise.
“Guardian Sea provides our navies the opportunity and challenge of detecting and tracking submarines, and to practice procedures related to anti-submarine warfare,” said Capt. H. B. Le , commodore, Destroyer Squadron Seven. “This year’s exercise will be the most complex to date and we look forward to working alongside the Royal Thai Navy ashore and at sea to improve our skills and enhance our interoperability.”
Along with operations at sea, the Guardian Sea exercise features a small shore phase that includes symposia and subject matter expert exchanges between the two navies.