A group of Washington Army National Guard members from 1st Battalion, 168th General Support Aviation and Royal Thai Navy members pose for a photo by a S-70B, Seahawk, during a recent Aviation Subject Matter Expert Exchange in Pattaya, Thailand, Dec. 15, 2025. (Courtesy Photo)
Story by Joseph Siemandel
Guardsmen from the Washington National Guard’s 96th Aviation Troop Command conducted an Aviation Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE) with Royal Thai aviation partners across multiple locations in Thailand from Nov. 28 to Dec. 16, 2025, strengthening long-standing relationships and advancing aviation safety and interoperability within the State Partnership Program (SPP).
“The exchange began in Lopburi and Bangkok from Nov. 28 to Dec. 12, where our team worked alongside aviators and maintainers from the Royal Thai Army’s 9th, 41st and 2nd Aviation Battalions,” said CPT Taylor Payne, Army Aviation Support Facility 2 commander and SPP aviation liaison during the exchange. “The purpose of the engagement was to identify aviation operations, training, maintenance, supply and standardization needs, challenges and opportunities in order to build a foundation for future engagements and help prevent aviation mishaps.”
Since 2015, Washington Guardsmen and Airmen have routinely traveled to Thailand to exchange aviation best practices and work side by side with Thai counterparts. What began as a small technical exchange has grown into a mature program led by the 96th Aviation Troop Command, expanding collaboration beyond the Royal Thai Army to include the Royal Thai Air Force and Royal Thai Navy.
Throughout the Lopburi engagement, participants shared knowledge on aviation maintenance, safety, standardization, supply chain management and operational practices. The exchange also resulted in recommendations for future engagements, updates to technical manuals and safety messages, and the continued development of professional relationships critical to partner nation interoperability.
Building on that momentum, a follow-on SMEE took place in Pattaya from Dec. 15–16 at the request of Royal Thai Navy leadership.
“This marked the first aviation engagement between the Washington National Guard and the Royal Thai Navy under the State Partnership Program,” said Payne. “This was the first time the group has engaged and operated with the RTN within the State Partnership Program. The Squadrons consisted of S-70B (Seahawks), MH-60S (Nighthawks), and the Do228 Dornier within the 2nd and 101 SQDN.”
Royal Thai Navy leaders provided tours of their facilities and participated in deliberate discussions focused on expectation management, aviation safety and establishing a framework for future engagements. The assessment identified several critical gaps, which the Washington team discussed in detail with Joint U.S. Military Advisory Group–Thailand (JUSMAG-Thai) leadership.
With more than a decade of partnership experience with Thai aviation forces, the Washington Army National Guard has built a foundation of trust through consistent, high-quality aviation maintenance and safety exchanges. Based on the success of this program, Royal Thai Navy leaders expressed interest in developing a similar sustained engagement to foster joint interoperability and align aviation safety practices.
“These exchanges reinforce the Washington National Guard’s continued commitment to the State Partnership Program and strengthen regional security through enduring professional relationships and shared aviation excellence,” Payne added.
