HONOLULU –
Adm. John C. Aquilino, Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, hosted a delegation led by Gen. Songwit Noonpackdee, Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF) Chief of Defence, for the annual U.S.-Thailand Senior Leader Dialogue (SLD) in Honolulu on March 27-29, 2024.
The visit included a full honors ceremony at U.S. Indo-Pacific Headquarters, a wreath-laying at the USS Arizona, tours of regional commands, discussions centered on regional security, interoperability and military modernization, and culminated in the signing of an 8-star annex between two countries.
General Songwit Noonpackdee and Admiral Aquilino bilaterally presided over the 2nd Senior Leader’s Dialogue (SLD) on 27 March 2024, on Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii. This Thailand - United States Eight Star Action Plan Annex will serve as a guiding framework for RTARF and USINDOPACOM cooperation programs and activities under the Thai-American Consultations (Thai TAC) defense meeting cycle. This commitment serves to strengthen the Thai-American military partnership, advance modernization efforts and promote interoperability.
Security cooperation program between RTARF and USINDOPACOM include activities such as Cobra Gold and many others throughout the year. This year’s iteration of Cobra Gold ended on March 8, and brought together more than 9,000 military personnel and 30 countries for two weeks of intensive training, humanitarian efforts and cultural exchanges.
Thailand is a key U.S. security ally in Asia, and as long-time friends, military allies and economic partners, the two countries will continue to expand their relationship in scope and complexity to support peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.