Cobra Gold live-fire amphibious assault exercise

Amphibious assault vehicles from the forward-deployed amphibious dock landing ship USS Tortuga and the Royal Thai Navy medium landing ship HTMS Surin participate in a live amphibious assault. Tortuga is part of the forward-deployed Essex Amphibious Ready Group and is underway participating in Exercise Cobra Gold 2012, an annual Thai-U.S. co-sponsored joint and multinational exercise designed to advance security throughout the Asia-Pacific region and enhance interoperability with participating nations. (U.S. Navy photo by: Lt. Cmdr Mark C. Jones)

A CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter flies past the forward-deployed amphibious dock landing ship USS Tortuga and the Royal Thai Navy medium landing ship HTMS Surin during a live amphibious assault exercise. Tortuga is part of the forward-deployed Essex Amphibious Ready Group and is underway participating in Exercise Cobra Gold 2012, an annual Thai-U.S. co-sponsored joint and multinational exercise designed to advance security throughout the Asia-Pacific region and enhance interoperability with participating nations. (U.S. Navy photo by: Lt. Cmdr Mark C. Jones)

Amphibious assault vehicles from the forward-deployed amphibious dock landing ship USS Tortuga land on the beach as CH-26 Sea Knight helicopters provide close air support during a live-fire amphibious assault exercise. Tortuga is part of the forward-deployed Essex Amphibious Ready Group and is underway participating in Exercise Cobra Gold 2012, an annual Thai-U.S. co-sponsored joint and multinational exercise designed to advance security throughout the Asia-Pacific region and enhance interoperability with participating nations. (U.S. Navy photo by: Lt. Cmdr. Mark C. Jones)

Amphibious assault vehicles from the forward-deployed amphibious dock landing ship USS Tortuga land on the beach as aviation ordinance is dropped from an F/A-18D Hornet during a live-fire amphibious assault exercise. Tortuga is part of the forward-deployed Essex Amphibious Ready Group and is underway participating in Exercise Cobra Gold 2012, an annual Thai-U.S. co-sponsored joint and multinational exercise designed to advance security throughout the Asia-Pacific region and enhance interoperability with participating nations. (U.S. Navy photo by: Lt. Cmdr. Mark C. Jones)