Tense Photo Report】Cobra Gold, Asia’s Largest Joint Military Exercise, Involving “Angry Shouting” Photos

Please send me back to my country as soon as possible!”

The hangar, which served as an evacuation site, was filled with angry shouts from people trying to escape.

The threat of terrorism and a coup d’etat due to political instability was looming, and civilians were in mortal danger, so each country was dispatching troops to rescue their compatriots.

We will now escort you to the plane.

A Self-Defense Force member wearing camouflage uniform with the Japanese flag on his shoulder announced to the 30 Japanese gathered in the hangar and began to walk away. In the line of Japanese were families with small children and physically challenged people in wheelchairs or poking canes. Armed Self-Defense Forces personnel and U.S. and Thai soldiers accompanied them, guarding the front, back, left, and right of the line, and keeping a watchful eye on the area. A U.S. Air Force C-130 transport aircraft was waiting for us at the destination.

Suddenly, the SDF personnel remaining in the hangar began to move in a flurry of activity. A suspicious man had climbed over the fence and was about to enter the airport. Self-Defense Force personnel carrying rifles rushed to the scene and surrounded the man. The man said, “Let me on the plane!　Take me to safety! The man was a local man shouting, “Get me on the plane! Although he was distraught, he agreed to be interviewed and had his ID in his possession, so the Self-Defense Forces personnel admonished him to go through the proper procedures. The airport was in chaos from start to finish.

This was a scene from “Cobra Gold,” a multinational military exercise held in various parts of Thailand from February 27 to March 8 this year. The exercise is one of the largest military exercises in Asia, involving more than 9,500 participants from 33 countries, including the host countries Thailand and the United States, as well as South Korea and Japan.

The first exercise was held in 1982. The U.S. military, which intervened in the 20-year-long Vietnam War, was troubled by the unique climate and terrain of Southeast Asia and the language barrier between the local people. To learn about the unique environment, they chose to cooperate with the Thai military.

At the time, the Cold War was in full swing, and there was a political desire to prevent Southeast Asia from being dyed into the Communist bloc by the withdrawal of U.S. forces. It was also significant to hold Thailand, the core of Southeast Asia and the leader of the ASEAN countries.

For a while, the exercises took the form of bilateral military exercises, but gradually neighboring countries began to be invited to participate as well, in order to build an ASEAN security structure. The exercise evolved into a multilateral military exercise, as it was believed to lead to stability in Southeast Asia and, eventually, the Indo-Pacific region. Japan has also participated since 2005.

Thailand has always been a country that adopts an omni-directional diplomacy. It takes a stance of not rejecting anything that comes its way.” In ’13, it also accepted the participation of Myanmar, which borders the country, as an observer. And since 2002, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has also been participating on a limited basis.

During the exercise, various assignments were conducted. One of them was the NEO (Non Combatant Evacuation Operation), which took place on March 3, and in which Japan took the lead. This is an operation to bring home safely to their home countries their own citizens who have been caught up in conflicts or disasters overseas, and is now regarded as an important mission by all countries as terrorism and regional conflicts have become more frequent.

In Japan, it is called “transportation of Japanese nationals,” and is stipulated in Article 84 of the Self-Defense Forces Law. The Central Readiness Regiment of the Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF), which guides evacuees, and the Air Support Group of the Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF), which operates transport aircraft, are the two units that specialize in this mission. Both units participated in this exercise.

In the event of a contingency on the Korean Peninsula or in a Sino-Taiwanian conflict, the first issue to be addressed would be how to quickly bring Japanese nationals residing abroad in South Korea and Taiwan back to Japan. It is not easy to transport tens of thousands of people in the midst of war. Cooperation with other countries is essential.

Although such drills are conducted in Japan every year, “Cobra Gold” is positioned as an important part of the many multinational military exercises held annually because it can be conducted in a more practical manner.

This time, about 250 Japanese, U.S., and Thai Self-Defense Force members and soldiers, as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, participated in the exercise. It is difficult to imagine that all those who escaped with their lives were carrying passports. Therefore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should have prepared a plan for identification and the issuance of temporary passports. The role of the evacuees was also played by real civilians, Japanese volunteers living in Thailand.

The highlight of the 11 days was the CALFEX live-fire drill held on March 8. This is mainly conducted in the two countries of the U.S. and Thailand, but this year the South Korean Marine Corps participated. In fact, next to Japan, South Korea is also participating in “Cobra Gold” with considerable enthusiasm. It seems that the U.S.-Thailand also hopes to eventually conduct live-fire drills on a multilateral basis.

The “intentions” of a great power, China

For the past several times, multinational parachute drop training by paratroopers and special forces from the countries participating in the exercise has been included as an exhibition. This year, two members from the Ground Self-Defense Force participated. Other countries participating include Singapore and Malaysia. There are rumors that China has also approached them to be included. This is not surprising, since China is aiming to become an official participant in Cobra Gold.

Cobra Gold” was thus successfully concluded, despite the various speculations of each country. Participation in multilateral military exercises, like the Olympics, is a meaningful event. For this reason, one must send a unit, not an observer. The reason for this is that if they can become regular members, they will have a greater say in the security of the region.

It has been decided that “Cobra Gold” will be held as early as next year as well. Will Japan participate in live-fire training, will South Korea increase its participation, and will China join the regular participants?

As the security environment surrounding East Asia undergoes dramatic changes, the significance of these exercises will grow in importance.

From the April 19, 2024 issue of FRIDAY