"Golden Cobra" Military Exercise Held in Thailand
According to a report by Reference News on March 1, the U.S. newspaper Stars and Stripes reported on February 27 that on the 26th, as dozens of amphibious assault vehicles, landing craft, and other landing vessels surged onto a remote beach in Thailand, the first large-scale exercise of the 45th "Cobra Gold" multinational joint military exercise officially commenced.
As the amphibious vehicles approached the shore, preset explosive devices detonated fireworks, while other watercraft simultaneously released smoke screens, simulating a real battlefield environment. After a successful beach landing, groups of U.S. Marines coordinated with Thai, Singaporean, and South Korean soldiers to launch an assault.
This amphibious landing operation is the first large-scale exercise of this year's "Cobra Gold" military drill. The exercise fully commenced after the opening ceremony held on the 24th in Rayong Province.
A press release from the U.S. Pacific Army on the 25th indicated that this annual military exercise, led by the U.S. and Thailand, has gathered approximately 8,000 soldiers from 30 countries. Other major participating countries include Indonesia, Japan, and Malaysia.
General Udomdet Seetaboot, Commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, pointed out in the press release that one of the focuses of this year's exercise is to elevate cyber warfare training to a new level. Although not obvious to observers at Ha Yao Beach, several new technologies were also utilized in the amphibious landing exercise of the "Cobra Gold" retention project on the 26th.
Andrew Amsley, Space Integration Officer for the U.S. Army's "Pacific Multi-Domain Training and Experimentation Capability" project, revealed that this beach landing operation included the first integration of U.S. Army Multi-Domain Task Force space systems, which were deployed to monitor communication signals throughout the approximately 6-hour exercise.
The "Cobra Gold" exercise began in 1982, initially as a maritime drill between the U.S. and Thailand. According to the U.S. Pacific Army, the exercise has since gradually expanded to cover almost all operational domains and has become the longest-running international military exercise in the world. (Translated by Hu Wei)
On February 26, 2023, the 45th Cobra Gold multinational military exercise began with a large-scale amphibious assault drill at Hatyai, Thailand, involving approximately 8000 soldiers from 30 countries, including the U.S. Marine Corps and forces from Thailand, Singapore, and South Korea. The exercise focuses on integrating new technologies for cyber warfare and communication monitoring, marking a significant evolution in its operational scope since its inception in 1982.
- The Cobra Gold exercise is the largest multinational military exercise in the Asia-Pacific region.
- Approximately 8000 soldiers from 30 countries are participating.
- The exercise includes new technologies for cyber warfare and communication monitoring.
- The U.S. and Thailand are the primary nations leading the exercise.
- The exercise has been ongoing since 1982, evolving to include various combat domains.