Description Cobra Gold is an Asia-Pacific military exercise held in Thailand every year. It is the largest Asia-Pacific military exercise held each year, and is among the largest multinational military exercise in which the United States participates.
Cobra Gold was first held in 1982. It served as military training exercise to improve coordination between the armed forces of the United States and Thailand in both hostile military and humanitarian efforts. It also had the goal of strengthening ties between the U.S. and Thailand, the oldest ally of the United States in the South Asia region. More recently, Cobra Gold has served a humanitarian mission, as military personnel deliver health care to the local Thai population, and as a testing ground for new battlefield technologies such as solar powered weaponry.
Cobra Gold has three distinct activities. The first is the Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise (CALFEX), in which live ammunition is aimed at predetermined locations. Troops then assault a beach and landing zone while this live fire occurs. Any miscalculation in the placement, explosive power, or timing of the live fire could be deadly. The second activity is a Command Post Exercise (CPX), in which military officers engage in computerized wargames, disaster relief, or humanitarian missions over several days. The final activity is assisting the local Thai population.
Cobra Gold includes Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and other South Asian and Pacific Ocean countries.
