SAF Participates in Multinational Exercise Cobra Gold 2018 in Thailand

Ambassadors and representatives from the participating countries at the opening ceremony of Exercise Cobra Gold 2018.

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) is participating in Exercise Cobra Gold from 13 to 23 February 2018 in U-Tapao Air base, Thailand. Co-hosted by the Royal Thai Armed Forces and the United States Pacific Command (US PACOM), the exercise also sees participation from the Indonesian National Defence Forces, Japan Self-Defense Forces, Malaysian Armed Forces and Republic of Korea Armed Forces.

This year's Exercise Cobra Gold will feature the inaugural Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise. The HADR exercise will comprise a table-top exercise (TTX), a health symposium for participants to share on their capabilities and lessons learnt from recent HADR operations, as well as a field training exercise component where participants will respond to simulated scenarios requiring management of the disaster, extrication of casualties and evacuation to a hospital. Singapore's Changi Regional HADR Coordination Centre will be collaborating with the US PACOM's Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance to facilitate discussions on the regional HADR architecture and mechanisms for effective and efficient coordination for disaster response during the TTX. 

The 53-member SAF delegation led by Chief Guards Officer, Colonel Seet Uei Lim, will undertake various roles within the Multinational Combined Task Force setup, alongside their counterparts from the other participating nations. As part of the delegation, a five-member team made up of combat engineers from the Singapore Army will participate in the multinational Engineering Civic Action Program to construct a community hall and activity centre for a school in Rayong Province, Thailand.

Exercise Cobra Gold promotes mutual understanding, friendship and professionalism among the personnel of the participating armed forces. The SAF has been a full participant of this multinational exercise since 2000.

The Singapore Army working with the United States and Thailand armies in the multinational Engineering Civic Action Program.

Participating armed forces extricating a simulated-casualty during the field training exercise component of the inaugural Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise.

Singapore's Changi Regional HADR Coordination Centre facilitating discussions during the HADR table-top exercise.