"Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Navy" Presides Over Opening Ceremony of the 2026 Annual Royal Thai Navy Exercise

Today (18 March) at Krom Luang Chumphon Camp, Sattahip District, Chonburi Province, Admiral Pairoj Fuengchan, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN), presided over the opening ceremony of the 2026 Royal Thai Navy Annual Exercise. Also present were Vice Admiral Suchart Thammapitakvech, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the RTN and Director of the 2026 Royal Thai Navy Exercise, as well as high-ranking RTN commanders and heads of RTN units in the area.

In his address to the participating personnel, the Commander-in-Chief emphasized that this year's exercise is not merely a routine, but is being conducted amidst unprecedented global tension and complexity. We are in an era where high-level conflicts can erupt at any moment, including conflicts with neighboring countries that could once again challenge our sovereignty. Therefore, the Royal Thai Navy cannot be complacent. He reiterated the policy of making this year the year of combat readiness for the Royal Thai Navy, noting that this readiness has been crucial in the successful performance of missions, both in protecting national sovereignty and in disaster relief. The Royal Thai Navy's training has been highly successful, and this year's 2026 Royal Thai Navy exercise will be a crucial part of the Navy's Year of Combat Readiness policy. Therefore, we must prioritize this training. For both the CPX and FTX exercises, I urge the training control division to focus on creating realistic scenarios and challenging the participating units to maximize the capabilities of personnel and equipment. I also ask all trainees to be dedicated and focused during the training so that this year's exercise demonstrates the Royal Thai Navy's combat readiness and its ability to face all forms of threats.

Following the opening ceremony, the commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Navy observed military operations against key targets. Key operations included drone bombing attacks, land-based strategic support with shore bombardment from ships at sea, and strategic operation teams conducting sweeping attacks and securing enemy areas. He then viewed a static display of military equipment from various Royal Thai Navy units, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from the research and development unit of the Royal Thai Navy's Research and Development Office, a video communication system for combat command from the Royal Thai Navy's Communication and Information Technology Department, and special operations units. (Clearance Control Unit) of the Special Warfare Command, along with weapons and equipment used in operations, and support vessels used in military training exercises, including a simulated shore bombardment support vessel from the Fleet Command, were on display.

In addition, a number of weapons and equipment from the Chanthaburi and Trat Border Protection Command were also on display. The annual naval exercise is of paramount importance to the Royal Thai Navy, conducted in accordance with the policy of "Year of Combat Readiness of the Royal Thai Navy: Training as if in real combat and winning when in combat." The training includes military planning, operational command, using contingency plans and Royal Thai Navy force deployment guidelines, operational direction, combat readiness testing, and various operational exercises, both conventional and unconventional, to ensure application in real-world situations. The training objectives and test topics, as defined by the Royal Thai Navy, will be incorporated into specific unit mission objectives and tested during the Command Post Exercise (CPX) and Field Training Exercise (FTX) to ensure compliance with established policies, orders, and training objectives.