Cobra Gold, the world’s longest-running multinational military exercise, enhances interoperability and strengthens partnerships among nations and disciplines. The Royal Thai Armed Forces and the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) host the annual training in Thailand.
The exercise’s 45th iteration from late February to early March 2026 provides tactical, scenario-based instruction to more than 8,000 military personnel from 30 nations. Drills address capabilities across land, sea, air, space and cyber domains, with a focus on command and control, field exercises and humanitarian civil assistance.
“Cobra Gold has evolved from a bilateral field exercise into a multinational, multidomain platform integrating command post exercises and field training exercises, expanding into space and emerging domains, and increasing operational complexity,” Royal Thai Navy Capt. Yuttana Sangma, a frequent Cobra Gold participant and Thailand’s liaison officer to USINDOPACOM, told FORUM.
Core participants are Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand and the U.S., with other participants including Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, Fiji, France, India, Italy, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, the Philippines and the United Kingdom. Observer nations include Brunei, Germany, Jordan, Laos, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.
Cobra Gold fortifies preparedness for emerging threats and natural disasters and includes cyber training and exploration of evolving technologies.
Areas of emphasis include:
- Command and control drills focus on multidimensional efforts such as beach landings and oversight of deep space and cyber operations.
- Field training exercises include amphibious warfare drills, evacuation of civilians from combat zones, live-fire tactical drills, long-range weapons training, maritime strike training, air defense drills, anti-uncrewed aerial operations, counter-landing exercises, and intelligence gathering through interception of enemy signals.
- Humanitarian civil assistance projects include construction of multipurpose buildings, disaster response training, and incorporating civil-military actions and international support during a disaster.
Thai defense forces chief Gen. Ukris Boontanondha, speaking ahead of the exercise, noted rising Indo-Pacific challenges including South China Sea confrontations, geopolitical tensions, intensifying natural disasters, and threats such as cyber scams, terrorism and human trafficking, reported The Nation, a Bangkok-based news service.
Ukris and other Thai leaders met with Adm. Samuel J. Paparo, USINDOPACOM’s Commander, in Thailand in January 2026. They discussed security priorities, regional stability and opportunities to deepen cooperation, including through military education and recurring exercises such as Cobra Gold. The talks emphasized the nations’ enduring friendship and commitment to a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.
“At its core, Cobra Gold remains an anchor of stability in the Indo-Pacific,” Sangma said. “It demonstrates that Thailand is a reliable and predictable partner, committed to long-term strategic alignment. As the saying goes, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’ Cobra Gold reflects our commitment to going far, together.”
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