Cobra Gold 2026 exercise kicks off in Thailand with focus on space, cyber domains

RAYONG, Feb 24 (TNA) - The 45th edition of Cobra Gold, the largest multilateral military exercise in Southeast Asia, officially opened on Tuesday with more than 30 nations and 8,000 personnel participating in a drill now expanded to include space and cyber warfare.

General Ukrit Boontanon, Thailand’s Chief of Defence Forces, co-chaired the opening ceremony at U-Tapao Naval Air Base with U.S. Ambassador Sean K. O’Neill and Lieutenant General Matthew McFarlane, Commanding General of the U.S. Army’s First Corps.

As a "Heavy Year" iteration, the 2026 exercise (Feb 23 – March 6) features seven primary participants: Thailand, the United States, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia. China, India, and Australia are joined by more than 20 other nations in additional and observer roles.

This year’s training concept focuses on Combined Joint All- Domain Operations (CJADO), integrating Command Post Exercises (CPX) with Field Training Exercises (FTX) through a centralized Operations Center 
Beyond traditional land, sea, and air maneuvers, the 2026 drill emphasizes emerging security dimensions. Key training includes Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) via aerial imagery analysis, Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), and expanded operations in space and cyber domains. -819 (TNA)