Exercise Cobra Gold officially begins

CHIANG MAI PROVINCE, Thailand -- The opening ceremony for Exercise Cobra Gold 2013 Feb. 11 in Chiang Mai province, Thailand, marked the beginning of the 32nd iteration of the largest multinational exercise in the Asia-Pacific region.

Service members from 15 nations attended the ceremony and are participating in CG 13 to develop greater interoperability among forces, improve relationships, and further develop the ability to solve regional challenges.

The event was presided over by a delegation of Thailand and U.S. leaders, all expressing their excitement about the continued success of Cobra Gold.

“As you know, Cobra Gold has become a truly multinational exercise,” said Royal Thai Army Lt. Gen. Tarnchaiyan Srisuwan, the Thailand-directed lead of CG 13 and director of joint operations for the Royal Thai Armed Forces. “Its size is growing ever larger, in terms of the number of the parties participating. We will address military operations other than war, such as peacetime support, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. These allow the nations to work close to enhance interoperability.”

The exercise, which ends Feb. 21, will improve forces’ capabilities to plan and conduct combined-joint operations and provide an opportunity to build relationships and improve interoperability across the range of military operations, added Srisuwan.

Cobra Gold is designed to advance regional security and ensure effective response to regional crises by exercising a robust multinational force of nations sharing common goals and security commitments in the Asia-Pacific region.

“It is critical to building our multinational coordination,” said U.S. Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III, commander of U.S. Pacific Command. “Our interoperability with all our partners in the region allows us to collectively respond to crises and to protect the peace and prosperity of all our people.”

The exercise includes humanitarian and civic assistance projects, a staff exercise and field training exercises. Joint and multinational training is vital to maintaining the readiness and interoperability of all participating military forces, according to Kristie A. Kenney, U.S. ambassador to Thailand.

“When you train together, talk together, plan together … I know that if a disaster strikes my country or a neighboring country you will all be there,” said Kenney. “You’ll be there at once because whether it’s flooding in Thailand, a typhoon in the Philippines or a tsunami in Indonesia, you know because you’ve worked together to respond immediately and effectively to save lives. As a civilian, I know that makes us safer and more productive and prosperous.”

Cobra Gold provides a platform for participating nations, including Thailand, the U.S., Singapore, Japan, Republic of Korea, Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as observers from other countries in the Pacific, to promote regional prosperity, security and cooperation.

“Every citizen of every nation in this region has a stake in their security and should be interested in what happens here at Cobra Gold,” said Locklear. “I hope we all continue to work together for the betterment of peace and prosperity — it’s really our only choice. Together, we will meet the challenges and forge a better future for this region and the world.”

Participation in Cobra Gold demonstrates the commitment of attendees to building military-to-military relationships and strengthening long-standing ties with partner nations.

“Whether you’re a participant or an observer, whether you have been here 32 years or this is your first year, you being here demonstrates your country’s resolve to peace and stability in this region and the world,” said Locklear.