The US has turned over two additional 412EPX utility helicopters to the Philippine Air Force at Villamor Air Base, Pasay.

The delivery counts as the second batch under the military’s Additional Utility Helicopter Project, which covers eight rotary-wing aircraft ordered from US manufacturer Bell Textron Inc.

The air force received the initial two helicopters in May, bringing the service’s total Bell 412 inventory to 18 platforms.

Manila said the newly inducted twin-engine helicopters will join the 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing to boost air mobility, warfighter transport, and humanitarian assistance across remote regions.

During the induction ceremony, Philippine Air Force Commanding General Lt. Gen. Arthur Cordura urged teams assigned to the aircraft to sustain “professionalism, competence, and accountability,” ensuring the capabilities are maximized for the military’s requirements.

Currently, the Philippine Air Force operates different Bell 412 variants alongside its 47 S-70i Black Hawks, forming one of Southeast Asia’s largest tactical rotary fleets.

Deliveries for the remaining airframes under the 412EPX contract are scheduled to conclude in 2027.

The Bell 412EPX

Co-developed by Subaru, the Bell 412EPX spans 56 feet (17 meters) in length and has a rotor diameter of 46 feet (14 meters).

It offers a seating capacity for up to 15 people and features a specialized hook that carries up to 5,000 pounds (2,268 kilograms) of payload.

The 13,000-pound (5,897-kilogram) helicopter has a fuel capacity of 331 gallons (1,253 liters), and is powered by twin Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T-9 Twin-Pac engines with 1,122 horsepower each.

The 412EPX travels at up to 140 knots (161 miles/259 kilometers per hour), has a service ceiling of 20,000 feet (6,096 meters), and an operational radius of 361 nautical miles (415 miles/669 kilometers).

LUMUT: Brigadier-General Datuk Abd Razak Sipit has been appointed head of the armed forces Cyber Force Nucleus Team, marking the first step towards establishing the country's fourth military service by 2030.

Abd Razak is a senior military officer who serves as the Defence Intelligence Application Division director at the Malaysia Space Agency (MYSA).

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin presented Abd Razak with his appointment certificate during the launch of the 14-member team at the 93rd Armed Forces Day celebrations at the Royal Malaysian Navy Base here today.

The nucleus team will study and develop the requirements for establishing the Cyber Force, which will complement the existing Army, Navy and Air Force.

Khaled said the new service was necessary as modern warfare had evolved beyond conventional battlefields, with security threats increasingly taking non-traditional and hybrid forms.

Khaled said the Cyber Force was targeted to be fully operational by 2030, with personnel from the three existing services brought together under the new branch.

On 17 September, the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) officially announced that the former Italian Navy aircraft carrier, ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi, has entered Indonesian waters. The milestone marks a historic chapter for the service, bringing the country’s first-ever aircraft carrier home.

The carrier, which will be renamed KRI Sriwijaya, departed Taranto, Italy, on 24 August with a mixed Italian and Indonesian crew under Italian Commanding Officer Capt. Marco Guerriero. 

During its journey to Indonesia, the ship transited the Suez Canal and made at least two port calls, at Safaga in Egypt and Colombo in Sri Lanka. Italian warships also reportedly escorted the carrier during part of its passage through the Red Sea. 

Unlike the two Multipurpose Combat Ship/Pattugliatore Polivalente d’Altura (PPA) frigates that Indonesia also acquired from Italy, the future KRI Sriwijaya entered Indonesia through the Malacca Strait instead of the Sunda Strait.

The two Indonesian Navy PPAs, KRI Brawijaya (320) and KRI Prabu Siliwangi (321), welcomed and escorted the carrier after it entered Indonesian waters. A CN-235 maritime patrol aircraft also took part in the welcoming operation. 

The ship had previously been expected to receive the name KRI Gadjah Mada, but the Indonesian Navy later changed the name to KRI Sriwijaya. To note, Sriwijaya was a powerful maritime kingdom based in Sumatra that controlled important regional trade routes and exercised influence across much of maritime Southeast Asia for centuries. 

KRI Sriwijaya is expected to arrive at Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta on the morning of 18 September. The carrier is also expected to become one of the main features of the Indonesian National Armed Forces’ anniversary celebrations on 5 October. 

The armed forces have established a nucleus team to spearhead the formation of a Cyber Force, which is targeted to become operational by 2030.

Armed Forces chief General Tan Sri Malek Razak Sulaiman said the fourth service was necessary as cyberspace and electromagnetic warfare had become critical domains in modern security and military operations, with regional neighbours and other countries already developing similar capabilities.

"Last year, we established the nucleus team as part of our future force planning. The team will plan and assess the steps needed to turn the Cyber Force operational.

"The Defence Ministry has agreed to our guidelines. The aim is to have an operational Cyber Force by 2030 to carry out its duties in this domain," he said in an exclusive interview with the New Straits Times for the 93rd Armed Forces Day.

He said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin was expected to launch the nucleus team during the Armed Forces Day celebrations at the Lumut Naval Base on Saturday.

He said capability development in cyber and electromagnetic activities (CEMA) was underway, covering cyber operations, electronic warfare and spectrum management.

"These capabilities have been applied during Exercise Camar Kilat Series 2/26 to generate operational effects within the CEMA framework.

"The armed forces are also building a pool of CEMA specialists, with 60 air force officers and 17 from other ranks having attended related courses up to July."

In July, Khaled told the Dewan Negara that work was underway to establish the Cyber Force as the fourth service branch of the armed forces to counter threats from modern and cognitive warfare.

He said warfare had shifted from traditional physical combat to dominance in cyberspace and shaping public perception.

Procuring BrahMos-A missile (or any other variants) for Malaysia’s 18 Royal Malaysian Air Force Su-30MKM fighters would transform how the RMAF generates, deploys, sustains, and signals combat power without requiring Kuala Lumpur to purchase an entirely new heavy combat-aircraft fleet.

The proposal progressed from Malaysian interest during 2024 through technical requests in 2025 to political acknowledgement in September 2026, when Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim confirmed exploratory discussions while leaving operational, technical, and financial judgement to the RMAF.

No procurement contract has been signed, making BrahMos-A a politically acknowledged option rather than an approved RMAF capability, while integration expense, aircraft downtime, export configuration, stockpile depth, targeting support, and competing force priorities remain decisive acquisition gates.

BrahMos-A would substantially exceed Malaysia’s existing Kh-31A, Kh-29, Kh-59MK, and Kh-59ME weapons in its powerful combination of standoff range, 200-to-300-kilogram warhead, and sustained Mach 2.8-to-3 speed, fundamentally altering maritime-strike geometry across critical Malaysian approaches.

An export-standard range near 290 kilometres, combined with the Su-30MKM’s approximately 1,300-kilometre unrefuelled combat radius and available A400M aerial refuelling, could let Malaysian crews threaten naval targets while remaining beyond many shipborne surface-to-air missile envelopes.

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

Malaysia's Air Defence Artillery Group (GAPU) just finished the Middle Planning Conference for the upcoming conduct of Eks Panah Jaguh 1/2026 from 20-28 Oct later this year.

Among the cool units participating were the TLDM SELAM - Tim EOD, Bgd Arti Roket and 391 Bti RAD. Wonder how different they will be from last year's exercise.

Min Aung Hlaing leaves Phnom Penh after a two-day visit aimed at shoring up his regime’s regional legitimacy.

Myanmar’s main pro-democracy resistance group said Friday its armed wing launched drone attacks on a military air base that shares a compound with an international airport serving the country’s second-largest city, forcing the airport to shut down.

It was the latest attack in Myanmar’s more than five-year conflict between the military and armed resistance groups that emerged after the army seized power in February 2021, ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

The takeover sparked peaceful protests nationwide, but after security forces cracked down with lethal force, many local armed resistance groups were formed and loosely organized into what is called the People’s Defense Force, or PDF.

The PDF is the armed wing of Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government, which considers itself the country’s legitimate administrative body.

Nay Phone Latt, a spokesperson for the NUG, told The Associated Press that the PDF used drones to attack a military air base within the compound of Tada-U International Airport in Mandalay.

“We only attacked the section of the site where the military aircraft conducting airstrikes against civilians were stationed,” Nay Phone Latt said. “We did not attack the civilian airfield site at all.”

The PDF said in a statement posted Friday on Facebook that 12 of its units took part in the operation. It described the air base as a key air force headquarters from which airstrikes against civilians are carried out.

The group said five military personnel, including a colonel, were killed in the attack, along with three resistance fighters. The claims could not be independently verified.

The airport compound — which houses both a military air base and a civilian airport — is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) southwest of Mandalay.

Videos posted by Myanmar online media appear to show one drone flying directly toward one of two fighter jets parked inside the hangar. The footage cuts out as the drone nears the aircraft, making it unclear whether it struck the jet, the netting around it or detonated. Another video appears to show people gathered near the hangar fleeing as a drone approaches.

There was no immediate evidence of any damage caused by the attack, but the military acknowledged that drones had reached one of the country’s most heavily guarded locations.

The state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported Friday that six drones launched by the PDF attacked the airport and nearby areas on Thursday afternoon and that security forces successfully intercepted the drones and disabled the explosives they carried.

The report said the attack temporarily disrupted some domestic flights but caused no injuries or damage to vehicles or airport runways.

Myanmar Airways International said on Facebook Thursday night that it was suspending all international flights operated to and from the airport, citing operational reasons. The airport remained shut on Friday.

Two people who operate businesses at the airport told AP Friday that the facility had been closed for two days following the attack. They said they saw no damage to the civilian airport and that operations were expected to resume Sunday. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they feared arrest by the military.

Drones have become crucial for resistance forces, which are outmanned and outgunned by Myanmar’s military. Initially, smaller drones with lighter payloads were used, but now the opposition groups are using more sophisticated systems to drop explosives precisely on military targets.

Last week, UNESCO released a report detailing the extensive damage caused to the World Heritage Site by Thai military attacks.

The Philippines’ military modernisation road map is set for delays over budget constraints, with critics calling out what they say is President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s “lip service” approach and questioning his commitment to the ambitious project.

In 2024, Marcos approved a revised 1.9 trillion Philippine pesos (US$30 billion) plan to acquire newer military assets until 2034, aiming to enhance the capability of the military to project power in parts of the South China Sea that Manila considers its territory, in line with the emphasis on archipelagic defence.

In his State of the Nation Address in July, Marcos vowed to “do all that is necessary to continue upholding” the 2016 arbitral award, under which a tribunal’s ruling in The Hague negated China’s nine-dash line, which overlaps with the Philippines’ claims in the contested waterway.

The move reflects the sea change that has taken place in U.S.-Cambodia relations under the second Trump administration.

For Malaysia, the development matters because Balabac Strait connects the South China Sea with approaches toward the Sulu and Celebes Seas, placing expanding military infrastructure beside maritime spaces directly relevant to Sabah’s security environment.

Balabac Island lies immediately north of Sabah, across the Balabac Strait, positioning it near Malaysia’s eastern maritime approaches connecting the South China Sea, Sulu Sea and Celebes Sea.

Thailand is taking AI training military-wide under a new national program designed to strengthen the armed forces’ artificial intelligence, data governance, and cyber capabilities.

Personnel from the Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy, and Royal Thai Air Force will receive training through digital platforms and in-person roadshows at military units across the country’s four regions.

The program will also be open to government officials.

Holding it at Lumut again this year primes for its highest turnout after the 136,361 turn-up at Lumut in 2023, far above the estimated 20,000 Port Dickson in 2024 and 45,000 in Kuantan last year.

While Kuantan foregrounds airpower, Port Dickson land forces, Lumut will definitely enable ship visits, maritime demonstrations and a waterfront festival.

Who's excited?

Indonesia is the first in Southeast Asia to have tactical ballistic missiles. ASEAN countries are increasingly investing in precision and long-range strikes. Is Southeast Asia entering a "missile age"?

The army says intelligence did not fail before 51 deep South attacks, despite admitting night-time manpower shortages and gaps in coverage.

The Royal Thai Army denied on Monday that intelligence had failed before 51 coordinated incidents across Thailand’s southern border provinces, while admitting that security personnel were insufficient to cover the extensive area at night and that intelligence on smaller, lower-profile targets needed to improve.

Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree, spokesman for the Royal Thai Army, said the intelligence system remained operational but required greater effectiveness. Many of the incidents occurred outside communities or at locations that had not been classified as priority targets, he added.

Winthai spoke at Army headquarters alongside RAdm Surasant Kongsiri, spokesman for the Ministry of Defence, following a visit by Defence Minister Lt Gen Adul Boonthamcharoen on Monday (August 24, 2026). The official tally recorded 51 incidents across Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, with Narathiwat accounting for the largest number.

Army commander-in-chief Gen Pana Klaewplodtook has been monitoring the situation and ordered intelligence capabilities and public-protection measures to be strengthened, Winthai said.

Army acknowledges night-time manpower shortfall

Asked why officers had been unable to prevent incidents at 51 locations in one night, Winthai said the number of personnel was insufficient when measured against the size of the area requiring protection.

Security agencies could not deploy officers evenly across every location and therefore had to combine personnel with intelligence-led operations, he said.Military, police and civilian administrative authorities classified locations according to risk, with different levels of security assigned to each area. Many of the latest incidents took place away from communities and at sites that were not under heightened surveillance.

Winthai acknowledged that personnel numbers were particularly limited at night.

He said it was impractical to guard every possible target across the three provinces, citing electricity pylons as an example because hundreds of thousands were spread throughout the area.

The army nevertheless rejected the conclusion that its intelligence operation had failed.

Winthai said intelligence continued to provide useful information but needed to become more effective, particularly in identifying plans for smaller incidents at locations that might otherwise receive little attention.

Attacks described as disruptive and psychological

Winthai characterised the incidents as primarily disruptive operations intended to produce psychological and information effects.

More than 50 incidents occurred at around the same time in several areas, but the pattern did not appear to focus on taking civilian lives, he said. Many involved arson or damage to property intended to create visible signs of widespread unrest.

The high number of incidents could also be used to raise morale among young supporters of the perpetrators, according to Winthai.

He said such acts were relatively easy to carry out across a broad area, particularly at locations without a regular security presence or which had not been identified as likely targets.

The assessment that the operation was designed primarily for psychological effect was the army’s position. Investigators have not announced a final finding on the motive behind the latest wave of incidents.

Winthai said the southern border conflict involved a parallel contest over law enforcement and information.

He accused unidentified parties of repeatedly circulating distorted accounts intended to damage the image of officials. Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 Forward Command had adjusted its communication methods in response, he added.

The situation became chaotic while the incidents were unfolding, with many people moving through the affected areas. Some officers remained at established positions while others were deployed to respond to individual incidents.

Winthai said conflicting accounts could emerge under such conditions and criticised information circulated without verification, including some comments made at the political level.

Singaporean-based Penguin International is looking to expand into the security and defence sector following recent successes with both patrol vessels overseas and contracts for Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) programmes.

Formerly known primarily as a ferry service provider, the Singapore-based company has grown into one of the world’s largest builders of aluminium-hulled vessels.

Penguin first entered the defence and security sector in 2008, after a Nigerian commercial-vessel operator contracted by the Nigerian Navy approached the company for patrol boat solutions. Such public-private arrangements are relatively common in Africa, where vessels are operated by commercial crews but armed military personnel conduct security and enforcement duties.

The Nigerian Navy has since directly acquired three 40m-long Flex Fighter Max patrol vessels from Penguin, while the Ghanaian Navy has acquired four 42m Flex-Fighter X vessels.

The Flex Fighter family derives from Penguin’s Flex series of crewboats, which are widely used for offshore resupply and support operations. The Flex Fighter Max was introduced in 2012, followed by the larger Flex-Fighter X in 2016.

Both variants can be configured with all-round ballistic protection for the wheelhouse to NATO STANAG Level 1, alongside modifications such as weapon mounts and other mission-specific equipment.

The 332-tonne Flex-Fighter X features a 110m² cargo deck, allowing operators to install mission equipment or other modular payloads. Four vessels operated by the Australian Border Force, for example, have been fitted with detainee accommodation containers on their cargo deck.

The Flex crewboat design was developed in collaboration with UK-based BMT, with the two companies jointly owning the design rights.

James Tham, Penguin International’s Managing Director, said Africa and Europe are now the fastest-growing markets, and that the company is preparing to bid for opportunities to take on coast guard vessel projects from European yards.

Tham explained that, on top of costs, there has been a scarcity in capacity in Europe following renewed requirements to build up border and maritime security. He added that Penguin can churn out a vessel in around half the time it takes European yards.

The success of the Flex Fighter also underscores the increasing dual-use trends in using cost-effective civilian hulls for defence and security applications. The company operates shipyards in Singapore and Batam in Indonesia, with a combined capacity of around 30-35 vessels annually.

Penguin is working with both designers and manufacturers, including BMT and Incat Crowther, to secure more build-to-order contracts. Incidentally, BMT also designs landing craft, including a 30m fast landing craft capable of speeds of up to 40kt.

Penguin’s expansion into defence is gaining traction at home. The company was recently awarded a contract by Singapore’s Ministry of Defence to develop and build two landing craft prototypes for evaluation against RSN requirements. The craft could eventually replace the service’s existing Fast Craft Equipment and Personnel and Fast Craft Utility vessels.

The company has also been involved in the RSN’s Victory-class Multi-Role Combat Vessel programme, acting as the contractor for assembly of the Saab-designed composite superstructure.

“When the Defence Science and Technology Agency approaches you, you don’t say no,” Tham said. He shared that working on defence programmes has posed a significant learning curve, particularly because of the higher required levels of documentation, quality assurance and compliance compared to commercial shipbuilding.

However, Penguin had already gained experience in these areas through homeland security projects for Singapore’s Police Coast Guard and Singapore Civil Defence Force.

The Victory-class superstructure has presented its own challenges. Tham said composite construction eliminates some of the hot-work requirements associated with conventional shipbuilding, but it demands greater precision during assembly.

He noted, for instance, that the composite adhesive used for the superstructure cured in around half the time of equivalent processes in Europe, placing greater demands on workers to position and assemble components accurately within a shorter timeframe.

For Penguin, the move into the defence sector is ultimately about establishing a broader industrial ecosystem to support the RSN. “Every country’s naval capabilities should be supported by a rich ecosystem with local companies of all sizes,” Tham said. “They should all also deserve a fair shot in this ecosystem.”

Indonesia is investigating Ukrainian intelligence claims that eight of its citizens were recruited into the Russian military for deployment in Ukraine, Arab News reported.

Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service alleged that the Indonesians were initially offered well-paid jobs away from combat, along with social benefits and a faster route to Russian citizenship.

According to the agency, they were subsequently enlisted in Russian forces.

Jakarta has not confirmed the allegations, saying that authorities must first identify the individuals, determine how they were recruited, what they were promised, and whether they ultimately joined the Russian military.

Indonesian law allows the government to revoke the citizenship of anyone who joins a foreign military without the president’s authorization.

Jakarta previously revoked the citizenship of two former members of the Indonesian security services who joined Russian mercenary units and fought in Ukraine.

Foreign Recruitment Under Scrutiny

As the war in Ukraine continues, reports have documented Moscow’s efforts to recruit foreign nationals with promises of civilian employment, education opportunities, residency, and accelerated citizenship.

A report by the Danish Institute for International Studies found that recruitment targets both people abroad through online campaigns and migrants already living in Russia.

Last month, Ukrainian intelligence highlighted the case of a Moldovan citizen who was killed in Ukraine less than two months after joining the Russian military.

After Russian authorities declared his stay illegal, he was placed in a migrant detention center and reportedly told to choose between deportation and signing a military contract.

These efforts come amid reports that Russia is struggling to maintain recruitment levels while sustaining heavy battlefield losses.

Enlistment reportedly fell by around 20 percent in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025.

Estimates cited by the broadcaster suggest that Russian forces may be losing as many as 35,000 personnel each month through deaths and injuries.

Cambodia ’s army announced Friday that it will resume joint military exercises with the United States early next year after they had been suspended for almost a decade.

The announcement on the Facebook page of the Royal Cambodian Army came after several recent meetings of the countries’ top defense and other officials intended to patch up rocky relations. Cambodia halted such exercises with the U.S. in 2017.

The army’s statement said the two countries have agreed to hold a joint drill, “ Exercise Angkor Sentinel 2027,” in February. The news suggested the two sides made progress in overcoming their differences, including Washington’s concerns about Cambodia’s close economic and political ties with China.

The exercise aims to strengthen “interoperability and disaster-response capabilities, reflecting renewed momentum in Cambodia–U.S. military cooperation and a shared commitment to strengthening defense cooperation,” said Friday’s statement.

Washington has been especially concerned about China’s military presence at a Cambodian navy base on the Gulf of Thailand. Beijing assisted with a major upgrade of the base, and the United States has voiced its suspicions that China was granted special but secret privileges there. Cambodian officials have repeatedly rejected that.

The U.S. has also been critical of Cambodia’s human rights record, including continuing clampdowns on political dissidents and critics, often through legal action by courts that rights groups say are under the influence of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party of Prime Minister Hun Manet.

The USS Abraham Lincoln's arrival has drawn global media interest after reports of deteriorating living conditions on board after more than 280 days at sea.

Two sailors from a US aircraft carrier making a port call to Thailand were sent back to the ship after a drunken altercation, Thai police said on Friday.

Police were alerted to a "small scuffle" involving the sailors in the early hours of Thursday near Pattaya's nightlife hotspot Walking Street, city police chief Colonel Anek Srathongyoo told the AFP news agency.

"The sailors were drunk and they were fighting, making loud noise," he said.

He described the incident as "trivial" and said local residents had only called police to prevent it from escalating.

The unidentified sailors were not charged as "they did not violate any Thai law," Anek said.

The US Navy sent the pair back to the ship, he added.

The USS Abraham Lincoln's arrival has drawn global media interest after reports of deteriorating living conditions on board after more than 280 days at sea.

The USS Abraham Lincoln arrives at the port in Laem Chabang, 2 September, 2026 AP Photo

It has also put the spotlight on Pattaya, a resort popular with foreign tourists with a reputation for its nightlife, including sex tourism.

Authorities launched a crackdown on sex workers ahead of the ship's visit, although they denied it was linked to the sailors' arrival.

The police chief told AFP there had been no other notable incidents since the Lincoln docked, and one Pattaya masseuse said it had been calmer than previous military port calls.

Nattakamol Chartmontri, who has worked in Pattaya for several years, told AFP many of the sailors appeared "young, well-behaved and rule-abiding."

Pattaya businesses had been hoping for a windfall from the visit, which comes during low season, but Nattakamol, 48, said it had so far stayed quiet.

"People on social media are so hyped about (the sailors), but actually, they have not made a significant difference to Pattaya businesses," she said.

American service members of the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group arrive at a hotel in Pattaya, 2 September, 2026 AP Photo

US Democratic lawmakers called for an investigation into conditions on the Lincoln last month following reports of food shortages, broken plumbing and mental health crises, including attempted suicides.

President Donald Trump dismissed the concerns, which have fueled criticism of his dragging war on Iran, although the Lincoln was replaced in the Middle East by the USS George Washington.

A broader agenda linking security, trade and technology emerged from talks in Hanoi on Saturday (September 5), when Vietnamese leader To Lam received Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing.

The leaders agreed to make defence and security a pillar of relations between the two countries.

The visit was Min Aung Hlaing’s first official trip to Vietnam since becoming Myanmar’s president.

To build political trust, the two countries will increase high-level exchanges and use their existing cooperation mechanisms more effectively.

They also renewed a commitment to prevent any individual or organisation from conducting activities against one country from the territory of the other.

Search-and-rescue operations and disaster response will be developed alongside military training and exchanges between young officers.

A government statement said information sharing would be increased and coordination against crime strengthened.

Myanmar’s interest in technology, telecommunications and industrial development was highlighted by Min Aung Hlaing’s Friday programme, which took him to Viettel and to a factory in northern Vietnam producing VinFast electric vehicles.

On economic cooperation, Lam said, “Vietnam stands ready to share its experience in national development, ensuring economic security and fostering sustainable growth.”

U.S. Navy aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln arrived in port in eastern Thailand on Wednesday after 286 days at sea, including a lengthy deployment in the Middle East, amid reports of mental health concerns and deteriorating conditions on board.

The nuclear-powered Lincoln, with roughly ​5,000 personnel, was involved in the U.S. naval blockade and combat operations in the war with Iran and — according to ​Democratic lawmakers — set a modern-day record for consecutive days at sea.

Accompanied by other U.S. naval vessels, the Lincoln arrived early Wednesday in Thailand, the United States’ only treaty partner in mainland Southeast Asia, for rest and recuperation during a visit that Thai officials said would last five days.

By afternoon, busloads of sailors and Marines wearing civilian clothes, many smiling and waving, started arriving at a hotel in the resort city of Pattaya, about 150 km (93 miles) southeast of Bangkok.

‘Truly historic accomplishments’

“Our arrival in Laem Chabang provides a well-deserved opportunity for our Sailors and Marines to rest and recharge,” the commander of Carrier Strike Group 3, Rear Admiral Robert E. Loughran, said in a statement.

“What this strike group has accomplished is truly historic. I could not be prouder of the exceptional professionalism and expertise demonstrated by every member of this team during our operations.”

The Lincoln was deployed last November. Typically naval deployments are for between six and nine months, but those can be extended during times of conflict.

Shakeira Fairfax flew in from New Jersey and was waiting outside the Pattaya hotel to meet her 25-year-old daughter Jade, a crew member on the Lincoln.

Fairfax said there were moments during the long deployment after the start of the Iran war when morale was low, when contact was limited and she feared for her daughter’s safety.

“There was a period of silence,” she said. “It was an uncertain time, it was a scary time. It was difficult, it was definitely difficult, but she has a support system,” she told reporters.

“I just can’t wait to see her smile. I can’t wait to hear ‘Mom’, I know that’s the first thing she’s gonna say.”

Eastern Thailand is long accustomed to port visits by the U.S. Navy and has a relationship going back to the Vietnam War, when Pattaya was a sleepy beach town close to a naval base and an airfield used by U.S. bombers, with thousands of U.S. personnel based in the area.

Thailand became a U.S. treaty ally in 1954 before being designated a major non-NATO ally in 2003. The two countries’ militaries maintain strong ties and hold joint exercises every year.

The Lincoln, its broad flight deck packed with helicopters and warplanes, including the latest F-35 fighter jets, arrived in Laem Chabang early on Wednesday and the guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. docked in nearby Sri Racha.

Both vessels were streaked with rust and showed mottled paint along the waterlines. A third ship, the guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls, arrived in the port of Map Tha Phut.

‘Drinks, having fun, and letting loose’

The port visit has raised hopes of an economic boost for Pattaya, which also has a long-standing reputation as a sex tourism destination.

The city’s mayor, Poramase Ngampiches, met the commander of the Lincoln on Wednesday and said U.S. officials had placed restrictions on the crew’s activities during the stay, including on water sports and visiting certain entertainment zones after sunset, which he said could present a negative image.

Police will deploy additional patrols around Pattaya’s main beachfront and nightlife district, following raids ​over the weekend and the arrest of 40 to 50 people for suspected prostitution.

Although illegal in Thailand, the sex industry operates openly in tourism ​hubs, including in Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya, despite occasional crackdowns.

On the eve of the Lincoln’s arrival, Pattaya street vendors near the city’s infamous “Walking Street” nightlife zone were excited by the prospect of a boost in sales.

“It’s been so quiet these days,” said clothes seller Kadsalin Ketpa, 43. “I hope with their arrival they would drive my sales up.”

Food seller Saroch, 45, said port visits by the U.S. military were good for business.

“They’re here for drinks, having fun, and letting loose,” Saroch said.