By Sarah Cope | 2026-03-10

The US Space Force on March 6 wrapped its inaugural participation in the multinational Cobra Gold military exercise, held in Thailand and led by the US Indo-Pacific Command and Royal Thai Armed Forces.

The operational importance of space domain awareness was a central theme throughout the exercise, which included more than 8,000 service members from 30 nations, US Space Command said.

For the first time during the drill, now in its 45th iteration, teams simulated offensive actions intended to disrupt an adversary’s satellite communications, said US Army Col. Jeffrey Duplantis, the exercise’s chief of space operations.

Taking part in the simulation were "51 personnel from across the nations to include two observers from the Philippines for the first time," he said.

"This is the largest space contingent that we have had for Cobra Gold."

The simulation included equipment such as satellite uplink and GPS jammers, US military newspaper Stars and Stripes reported March 4.

Thailand's strategic role

Since 1982, Cobra Gold -- one of the longest-running exercises in SouthEast Asia -- has sought to strengthen regional security cooperation, humanitarian assistance and disaster response in the Indo-Pacific region.

"Thailand's co-hosting of this year's Cobra Gold event underscores its strategic role as a 'bridge builder,' connecting major powers and allies in the region, even during times of political tension," the Public Relations Department of Thailand said.

"The continued participation of forces from countries like China and India in some activities demonstrates that Cobra Gold is a safe space for trust-building."

"Cobra Gold 2026 is therefore not just a display of military power, but a clear signal to the world that peace and security in the Indo-Pacific can only be achieved when all nations are ready to learn, train, and stand together."

"The US-Thai alliance is one of America's oldest and most enduring defense partnerships," US Ambassador to Thailand Sean K. O’Neil said during the opening ceremony on February 23.

The US Space Force is the youngest branch of the US military services. Its Cobra Gold participation underscores the growing importance of space for cooperation and interoperability, as well as for international security, military officials said.

"As our service continues to mature, our participation demonstrates that we can support real-world operations and major multinational exercises simultaneously," Space Force Maj. Jonathan Brydie said in a statement.

"It reinforces that space is a warfighting domain," he said. "Integrating space from the outset ensures the joint force operates with synchronized effects across air, land, maritime, cyber and space."

Space as a security domain

During the exercise, US Space Force personnel, known as Guardians, leveraged their expertise in space domain awareness, defensive and offensive space operations and operational-level space planning.

A large-scale, multi-domain exercise like Cobra Gold allows participating nations to practice integrating space assets and capabilities with air, land, maritime and cyber capabilities and considerations.

"We are ensuring space is a deliberate consideration at every decision point," explained Space Force Capt. Nicholas Braga, Space Forces Korea chief of future operations.

"Branch plans and contingency options are developed with space effects integrated from the beginning, giving commanders greater clarity and flexibility in achieving mission objectives."

Satellites enable continuous surveillance, allowing states to observe weather patterns that could influence operations, as well as movements of military assets by an adversary nation, large troop movements or build-ups of equipment.

Satellite enabled navigation is also critical for both civilian and military purposes.

Other space technologies such as optical imaging, Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR), and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) enable imaging and detection of climate patterns and human-made structures, furthering reconnaissance.

Shared commitment to security

Space domain awareness, the ability to surveil and track man-made and natural objects in space, is critical to security objectives.

Space congestion and orbital junk threaten orbiting satellites with an increasing risk of collision. Space weather patterns, like solar flares, can harm satellites through increased radiation and electrical surges.

Tracking aggressive actions in space is also central to domain awareness.

Last year, the US Space Force warned that China was practicing "dogfighting" maneuvers with satellites, which involve satellites maneuvering around each other in synchronized patterns.

These maneuvers can be used to cause orbital collisions, potentially disabling satellites and harming navigation systems or information collection and dissemination.

Alternatively, a threat satellite could move close enough to a target satellite to deploy a payload for a strike.

Space assets are critical to military functions, highlighting the necessity of warding off anti-satellite (ASAT) maneuvers.

"Most command-and-control systems rely on satellites and space-enabled networks," Brydie noted.

"Space superiority is now as vital as air superiority in modern conflict. Maintaining awareness of the space environment allows us to protect those systems and ensure the joint force can operate without disruption."

By engaging in an exercise like Cobra Gold, participating nations demonstrate a shared commitment to space security and regional stability.

"The region’s security is dependent upon and determined by all of us," said Gen. Ukris Boontanondha, chief of Defense Forces Thailand.