Ambassador Glyn T. Davies; Commander of U.S. Pacific Command Admiral Harry B. Harris, Jr.; and Thailand’s Chief of Defense Forces General Surapong Suwana-adth presided over the February 14 opening ceremony for Cobra Gold 2017, the largest multilateral exercise in Asia co-hosted by Thailand and the United States. This, the 36th version of Cobra Gold, brings together more than two dozen nations to address regional and global security challenges and to promote international cooperation and stability across the Asia-Pacific region. This year, Cobra Gold will strengthen regional cooperation and collaboration, increasing the ability of participating nations to work together on complex multilateral operations such as enhancing maritime security, preventing and mitigating emerging disease threats, and responding to large-scale natural disasters. The exercise will improve the capabilities of participating nations to plan and conduct combined, joint operations; build relationships across the region; and improve interoperability across a wide range of security activities. Cobra Gold demonstrates the long-standing alliance between the Kingdom of Thailand and the United States and our shared commitment to advancing prosperity and security in the Asia-Pacific region.
