Cobra Gold, one of the largest military exercises in the Asia-Pacific region, has been held annually for more than 30 years, and the one this year will bring together more than 20 nations to address the challenges of regional and global security as well as promote international cooperation and stability in the region.

Cobra Gold 2016 also aims to strengthen regional cooperation and collaboration, increasing the ability of participating nations to work together on complex multilateral operations such as fighting piracy and delivering humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. It will also boost the ability of the participants to plan and conduct joint operations, build relationships across the region as well as improve interoperability across a wide range of security activities.

The exercise this year will consist of three key events: a command post exercise, which includes a seminar among senior leaders; humanitarian civic assistance projects in Thai communities; and a field-training exercise that will boost regional relationships.