Nakhon Ratchasima: The Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Armed Forces inaugurated the Cobra Gold 2025 exercise, a significant military exercise in Southeast Asia, involving a total of 30 countries with more than 8,000 participants and observers.
According to Thai News Agency, Gen. Songwit Noonpakdee, the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, Mr. Robert F. Godec, U.S. Ambassador to Thailand, and GEN Ronald Clark, Commander of U.S. Land Forces Pacific, co-chaired the opening ceremony. The event was attended by ambassadors and diplomats from Singapore, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, and Malaysia. The ceremony took place at the multipurpose field of Ruam Ruengchai Club, located at the 2nd Army Area Headquarters, Camp Suranaree, Nakhon Ratchasima Province.
Cobra Gold is one of the longest-running and largest combined military exercises in Southeast Asia. It is co-hosted annually by the Royal Thai Armed Forces and the United States Indo-Pacific Command. This year's exercise marks the 44th edition, with core participation from Thailand, the United States, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Malaysia. Additional countries such as China and India are part of the People's Assistance Program, while Australia is participating in the Command and Control Exercise.
The exercise sees the involvement of the Multinational Planning Augmentation Team, which includes countries like Bangladesh, Canada, France, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Philippines, Fiji, the United Kingdom, and Italy. The Combined Observer Liaison Team includes Cambodia, Laos, Pakistan, Vietnam, Germany, Sweden, Kuwait, Brazil, Brunei, and Timor-Leste, totaling 30 countries with 8,194 participants.
The exercise aims to develop good military relations among the participating countries and enhance their capability to execute joint and combined strategies in various crisis scenarios. The main training schedule, running from 24 February to 7 March 2025, includes several key training exercises: the Command and Control Exercise, the Humanitarian Civic Assistance project, and the Field Training Exercise.
The Command and Control Exercise involves a series of staff exercises focusing on integrating space and cyber operations. The Humanitarian Civic Assistance project includes construction projects and disaster relief training, emphasizing civil-military coordination. The Field Training Exercise aims to enhance the complexity of joint operations under the concept of combined joint all domain operations.
The Cobra Gold 2025 exercise not only develops the capabilities of military personnel from the participating countries but also displays the commitment of the United States and Thailand to strengthen military cooperation and security in the Indo-Pacific region. It focuses on enhancing the ability to conduct joint operations, respond to natural disasters and cyber threats, and build strong relationships between the Thai military and the militaries of friendly nations.