Thai PM, army chief witness Thailand-Singapore military exercise

SA KAEO, April 6 (TNA) - Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha witnessed a drill with live bullets at an observation hill in Thailand's eastern Sa Kaeo on Wednesday afternoon, concerning strategies of a Thai-Singaporean joint armoured vehicle battalion under a UN framework aimed at allowing commanders of the two Southeast Asian neighbours to exchange military expertise and to boost their military relations. The military exercise included the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle, attacks by helicopters on a mock enemy base identified by the unmanned aerial vehicle, an attack with live bullets by the ad hoc battalion and fires by tanks. The Thai military has recently imported BTR-3E1 wheeled armoured vehicles from Ukraine, equipped with 30mm automatic cannons, 30mm automatic grenade launchers, machine guns, smoke grenades and anti-tank missiles. Each vehicle can carry 13 soldiers and has an attack range of 700 meters. Prior to the drill, local people and soldiers received the prime minister at the exercise venue in Watthana Nakhon District's Baan Phakdi Phaendin. The prime minister also saw an exhibition on military operations and war weapons. (TNA)