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.
As of 2014, Cobra Gold has three distinct activities. The first is the combined arms live fire exercise (CALFEX), in which live ammunition is aimed at predetermined targets. Troops then assault a beach and landing zone while this live fire occurs. The second activity is a command post exercise (CPX), in which military officers engage in computerized war games, disaster relief, or humanitarian missions over several days. The final activity is assisting the local Thai population.
In 2017, there were 29 nations that participated in Cobra Gold either directly or as observers. This year is 36th anniversary of Cobra Gold exercise co-hosted by Thailand and United States between 14 and 24 of February 2017. Cobra Gold 2017 aims to improve capabilities among the participating nations, joint operation, civic action and do build up relationship between Thailand and United States when power seizure in 2014 Thai-US relations have fallen. Cobra Gold 2017 aims to improve capabilities among the participating nations, joint operation, civic action The field exercises including variety of training, such as Amphibious Assault Demonstration, EOD mission, Close Air Support (CAS) and Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise (CALFEX) which is an exercise on strategical engagement by using various types of weapons. In civic action, were included humanitarian assistance and Non-combatant Evacuation Operation (NEO). NEO was led by Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) during disaster relief operation. Mostly, a NEO used to move noncombatant personnel from dangerous area, usually caused by natural disaster For 2018, the US has urged to remove Myanmar as observers due to the Rohingya crisis.
The United States has engaged in only a single, very minor military intervention in the Pacific area since the end of the Vietnam War, making it difficult to judge Cobra Gold's effectiveness in improving warfighting capabilities and coordination. Cobra Gold has, however, proven effective in improving coordinated military response to natural disasters, including the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2011 Tōhoku tsunami, and disaster relief provided to the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan struck in November 2013.
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