On February 25th, 2020, it was reported that Lt. Gen. Sittipol Nimnuan, Director-General of Thailand Mine Action Center (TMAC), Joint Operation Command, as a director of the combined joint Cobra Gold 2020, presided over the opening ceremony of the exercise titled “Landmine Disposal” at the 2nd Battalion, the 12th Infantry Regiment, Nimman Kolayuth Camp located in Srakaew province. Lt. Gen. Sittipol Nimnuan, later inspected in mine collection sites, mine destruction sites, and control areas used for long-range detonators at the Phakdi Phandin surveillance station in Wattana-Nakorn, Srakaew.
Lt. Gen. Sittipol Nimnuan stated that the landmine disposal exercise under the combined joint Cobra Gold’s framework, is the core operation between Royal Thai Armed Forces and US. Forces having Thailand Mine Action Center and US. Indo-Pacific command represented from each country to participate in the Humanitarian Landmines clearance exercise. Scope of the action focused on training in real situations having involved Anti-personnel mines and Unexploded ordnances surveyed and cleared by Humanitarian Mine Action Unit 2 (HMAU2) in Trad province and the exercise was later taken place in Humanitarian Mine Action 3 (HMAU3) in UbonRatchathani and Surin Provinces.
Director of TMAC also added that the Combined Joint Cobra Gold exercise took place from February 21st – March 6th, 2020 using Humanitarian Mine Action Unit (HMAU1) in Srakaew province as a training field. Details of the exercise included as follows: 1. Most Personnel carrying mine and other explosives provided by US. Forces arrived at the Training areas located in Aranyaprathade, Srakaew on February 24th 2020. 2. Following the opening ceremony held on February 25th 2020 in Srakaew, Joint Work Plans between two countries was commenced. 3. The Mine Victim assistance training and medical evacuation rehearsal were launched on February 26th -27th 2020 at a tactical training field situated in Phakdi Phandin village, Wattananakorn, Srakaew. 4. The activity focused on Mines and UXO destruction plans and ignition test. 5. The Mines and UXO destruction training was conducted at the Phakdi Phandin tactical training field on March 1st – 4th 2020.
Additionally, Gen. Pripat Palasin, Deputy Chief of Joint Staff on behalf of Chief of Defense Forces visited the Combined Joint Cobra Gold 2020 titled the Landmines Disposal exercise on March 3rd, 2020. Apart from Deputy Chief of Joint Staff, the visitors involved a group of attaches from the countries that provide a support for Humanitarian Mine Action in Thailand, military attachés from various countries and representatives of a civil society dealing with Humanitarian Mine Action and international organizations. The total number of participants in the exercise include 85 men comprising 36 Thai training officers and 19 Thai officers for additional tasks and 13 US. Training officers.
