How Cobra Gold Helps the US Strengthen Its Indo-Pacific Partnerships

Exercise Cobra Gold stands out as a case study that can illustrate the importance of campaigning to build integrated assurance, and takes place within a network of enduring engagements that are critical to understanding regional challenges and supporting military-to-military relations. The foreign academy exchange program at West Point is one example of how key military leader relations can be first developed and consistently fostered in an officer's career through annual exercises like Cobra Gold to provide integrated assurance. Exercise Cobra Gold, most recently held during February 27-March 8 in Thailand, serves as a tactical platform for facilitating military-to-military interactions and creating greater integrated assurance. Cobra Gold focuses on a multinational force command post exercise, combined joint field training exercises, senior leader seminars, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. During Cobra Gold, both countries participated in civic assistance projects, the ROK conducted a combined amphibious exercise with the Thai and U.S. Marines, and all three members of the trilateral security pact shared a table for the cyber exercise. Unlike many other multinational exercises, the Thai-led Cobra Gold exercise brings competitors together for civic assistance and HA/DR. During the civic assistance project, American, Thai, Malaysian, and Chinese engineers worked together to erect a new multi-purpose facility at a local school in Prachinburi province. Exercise Cobra Gold provides a platform for regional partners to build military cooperation and interoperability to foster integrated assurance.