RAYONG PROVINCE, Thailand — The opening ceremony for the 42nd iteration of Exercise Cobra Gold took place in Rayong province, Kingdom of Thailand, Feb. 28, 2023.
The exercise is co-sponsored by the Kingdom of Thailand and the United States and also features full participation from the Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Republic of Singapore, Japan and Malaysia, as well as other limited participants, planners and observers from more than 20 additional nations.
This year’s iteration of Cobra Gold features multinational participation in a command and control planning exercise, humanitarian aid/disaster relief training, a simulated noncombatant evacuation operation, humanitarian civic action projects, and field training exercises with a variety of realistic training events to enhance interoperability and strengthen regional relationships.
“Cobra Gold 23 strengthens our ability to plan and conduct combined, joint, high-end security and peacekeeping operations across all domains,” said Adm. Chris Aquilino, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. “Through Cobra Gold, we demonstrate our resolve to respond together to future challenges, preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific where all nations can prosper.”
Cobra Gold 23 emphasizes coordination on readiness, civic action, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and seeks to expand regional cooperation and collaboration in these areas.
“Getting to know (our partners) now and having an idea of what our neighbors to the left and right can do is invaluable,” said Sgt. Cory Lamoureux, a U.S. Army Soldier with 17th Field Artillery Brigade.
New to the annual exercise is the Combined Space Forces Coordination Center, where partner nations come together to integrate space capabilities into humanitarian assistance and crisis response operations, providing real-world space support to exercise scenarios.
“The scope of military operations that enhance our regional stability are virtually expanded to handle the full spectrum of threats in all domains, including land, sea, air, cyber and space. Additionally, peacekeeping operations, maritime security, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief are also included,” said Gen. Chalermpol Srisawasdi, Royal Thai Armed Forces Chief of Defense. “All of these help us maintain our regional security and be ready to provide necessary assistance and disaster relief as we have successfully shown in the past.”
Prior to the opening ceremony, participating nations met for the humanitarian assistance/disaster relief tabletop exercise, where they worked to identify and understand key military coordination mechanisms in international support while enhancing humanitarian assistance/disaster relief cooperation and capabilities.
Nations worked through an example scenario in which a tropical storm had inflicted catastrophic damage resulting in collapsed buildings, uncontrolled fires, hazardous materials leaks and mass casualty events requiring search and rescue, emergency medical services, medical evacuation, HAZMAT decontamination, and firefighting. The exercise took place over the course of three days and included participants from multiple nations, as well as members of international organizations such as the Red Cross and United Nations.
“Of equal significance to the training tasks are the relationships our service members develop with other participants,” said Aquilino. “These relationships help facilitate peace and prosperity for generations to come.”
For more information, photos, videos and stories about Cobra Gold, including past iterations, please visit the Cobra Gold DVIDS page or the official Facebook page.
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