More than 8,200 personnel from 30 countries participated in the 44th iteration of Cobra Gold, hosted by Thailand and the United States in Thailand.
Key military contingents from Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea participated in the exercise, which ran from February 25 to March 7, 2025, to strengthen relationships among Allies and Partners and bolster regional security commitments.
“Cobra Gold is the longest-running international military exercise in the world,” said U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Robert F. Godec.
“It affirms the enduring Thai and U.S. security partnership and is a pillar of our commitment to the region,” Godec said. “Cobra Gold helps build interoperability, advances our common interests and is a concrete demonstration of our ongoing promise to our Allies and Partners to work together to ensure a Free and Open Indo-Pacific region.”
Gen. Songwit Noonpackdee, chief of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, and representatives from other participating countries attended the opening ceremony, the Nikkei Asia news group reported.
“Cobra Gold is about our partnerships,” said Gen. Ronald P. Clark, commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC). “Partnerships that are long-term and require investment.
“We share a goal in this region: to prevent war by remaining ready together,” Clark said. “Preventing war requires many thanks, so thank you to Thailand for putting in the effort this year for the 44th annual Cobra Gold exercise.”
Drills included command and control, large-scale field training, amphibious landings, and humanitarian assistance such as disaster relief and construction projects, and emphasized cyber defense, space operations and counter-drone strategies. In a Cobra Gold first, Thai and U.S. Soldiers conducted a live-fire, ground-to-air missile drill with Stinger missiles, the Stars and Stripes newspaper reported.
IMAGE CREDIT: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Cobra Gold highlighted the “evolving nature of modern warfare,” Capt. Jenniffer Messina, a spokesperson for USARPAC’s 7th Infantry Division, told Stars and Stripes.
Among the engagements, Royal Thai Army 1st Special Forces Division and U.S. Special Operations Detachment – Pacific shared insights on joint planning and combined operations through a subject matter expert exchange (SMEE) that launched ahead of the exercise.
“Having this academic SMEE as part of Cobra Gold 2025 demonstrates the importance both Thai and U.S. leadership place on cognitive warfare,” said retired U.S. Army Col. Scott Malone, a senior mentor with the U.S. Joint Special Operations University (JSOU). The exchange, facilitated by JSOU, enhanced best practices through dialogue and hands-on demonstrations.
There also was training on countering criminal organizations such as those that operate online scams from Myanmar near the Thai border, which often use forced labor, Nikkei Asia reported.
Royal Thai Army and U.S. Soldiers, meanwhile, completed construction of Ban Sub Tao school as part of a humanitarian mission that strengthened ties and fostered mutual respect. Indian Armed Forces personnel also participated in the project, which reflected the motto often heard during the exercise: “Together, Stronger.”
