Soldiers from countries including the U.S. and Thailand marked the end of the region’s largest military exercise by participating in a live ammunition firing exercise on March 8.From artillery assaults and fighter jet bombings to ground operations, 137 participants from Thailand, the United States and South Korea were involved in the Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise (CALFEX) featuring weaponry, including F-16 fighters and Thai Armed forces’ BTR-wheeled armoured vehicles.The annual Cobra Gold is one of the world’s longest-running multilateral military exercises and the biggest in Southeast Asia, serving as a key platform for Washington to shore up alliances in Asia at a time of increasing competition with China.