The
According to the official statement, the two countries have scheduled a joint drill titled “Exercise
Diplomatic Efforts and Strategic Context
The decision to restart military drills follows recent discussions between Cambodian leadership and senior U.S. defense officials. On August 14, Prime Minister
The path to this agreement has been complicated by broader geopolitical concerns. The United States has previously raised alarms regarding China’s military presence at a Cambodian naval base on the Gulf of Thailand. While Washington has expressed suspicions that Beijing may have been granted exclusive access to the facility, Cambodian officials have consistently denied these allegations. Furthermore, the U.S. has maintained a critical stance toward Cambodia’s domestic political climate, specifically regarding the treatment of political dissidents and the independence of the judiciary.
Future Cooperation and Maritime Security
Beyond the Angkor Sentinel exercise, there are indications that the scope of military cooperation may expand. U.S. Navy Admiral Steve Koehler, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, held discussions with the Commander-in-Chief of the Cambodian Armed Forces, General Vong Pisen, in August. During that meeting, the two leaders discussed plans to resume bilateral maritime exercises, which were also discontinued in 2017.
The current focus remains on the February 2027 timeline for the ground-based drills. As both sides move toward these exercises, the initiative is being framed by officials as a mechanism for capacity-building within the Cambodian Armed Forces. The resumption of these activities represents the most significant step toward military normalization between the two countries in nearly a decade.
