Cobra Gold exercises one of world's biggest maneuvers

BEIJING - Two Thai F-16 jet fighters crashed on Monday during military exercises involving the United States and six other nations in Thailand's northeastern Chiang Mai province.

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Xinhua News Agency said the two pilots on board were rescued.

Despite the accident, the 12-day exercises, code-named Cobra Gold, will continue until Feb 18.

The maneuvers are just one of the many joint military exercises the US has held with nations in the Asia-Pacific region to show off its presence and military strength in the area, experts said.

The participation of Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia makes the 30th annual joint exercise one of the world's largest multilateral military maneuvers.

"It is an important part of the US strategy to boost its presence in the Asia-Pacific region," said Yin Zhuo, a major-general of the Chinese navy.

Yin noted that in the past two years, besides scheduled military exercises, the US has increased those related to sensitive issues, such as the ones jointly held with Japan and South Korea last year.

"Holding such military exercises aiming at fighting terrorism and natural disasters will help the US enhance ties with these nations and build up its 'soft power' in this region," Yin noted.

Costs on the battleground in Iraq alarmed the US, making it depend more on its allies including Japan, South Korea and Australia when returning to the Asia-Pacific region, Yin said.

It has also enhanced military ties with other nations in this region such as Singapore and Thailand, according to Yin.

Since the last Cobra Gold exercises held in June 2010, the US has held around 20 joint military maneuvers with nations in the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan and South Korea.

The US has been claiming its military exercises are for peaceful purposes, which has been doubted by analysts.

Judith B. Cefkin, the US deputy chief of mission, said at the opening ceremony of Cobra Gold 2011 that the joint exercise was a symbol of Washington's commitment to supporting the security of its "friends and allies in the Asia-Pacific region".

"The fundamental nature and biggest feature of the joint military exercises lies in its military nature, which cannot be disguised by emphasizing its peaceful purposes," said Senior Colonel Xiao Shizhong from the Academy of Military Science in Beijing.

"Its real purpose is actually to show off its military presence and capacity in the Asia-Pacific region, show its support for nations participating in the exercises, and deter certain nations in this region," said Xiao.

More than 11,000 people, including 7,200 US service personnel, are taking part in the exercises, including ground, air and water drills and 17 humanitarian assistance projects, eight engineering projects and nine medical assistance programs.

China has been sending observers to the exercises since 2002, according to Xiao, refuting Japanese media reports that claim China intends to compete for dominance in security issues in this region.

"It is only groundless speculation by some observers," Xiao said, "due to the nature of such military exercises, China is unlikely to be a participant".

India, Sri Lanka, Laos, Brunei, Russia, Mongolia, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates and New Zealand also sent observers this year, according to the Bangkok Post.

Xinhua News Agency contributed to this story.