U.S. and South Korean marines consult ahead of a Cobra Gold maritime strike drill in Rayong, Thailand, March 2, 2026. (Alex Wilson/Stars and Stripes)
CAMP RED HORSE, Thailand — A key combat drill during this year’s Cobra Gold exercise nearly unraveled after the lead planner was abruptly reassigned, a decision officials declined to explain and one that forced Marines to scramble to salvage the training.
The disruption came roughly 72 hours before Cobra Gold’s March 2 maritime strike drill, one of the exercise’s most complex scenarios, which simulates the defense of a beachhead from a coordinated air- and sea-assault.
The air mission commander assigned to the operation was suddenly recalled to his home base because of what officials described only as “other operational commitments,” Master Sgt. Matthew Hall, operations chief for Task Force Ashland, said in a phone interview Saturday.
“That’s all he could speak to at this classification level,” said Hall, whose task force is made up of about 200 Marines and sailors from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Officials declined to elaborate on the decision, or whether it involved moving Indo-Pacific assets to U.S. Central Command, which is overseeing U.S. operations in Iran.
“We don’t have anything to offer you on this,” a spokesperson for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, who did not identify themself, said in a Thursday email to Stars and Stripes.
A live display shows U.S., Thai and other nations' warships and aircraft during a Cobra Gold maritime strike drill in Rayong, Thailand, March 2, 2026. (Alex Wilson/Stars and Stripes)
INDOPACOM and U.S. Central Command did not respond to emailed questions sent Thursday. Cobra Gold spokespeople also said they could not provide additional details.
With the drill at risk of cancellation, Hall said the 15th MEU brought in its own air command officers from Manila with less than three days’ notice to oversee the mission.
“That’s what the Marine Corps is known for,” he said. “Being able to be flexible and adapt on a short timeline, short situations, to accomplish a mission.”
The drill included surprise attacks on escort ships, coastal artillery defense, aerial assaults on naval targets and attacks on unmanned drone systems, according to a Thai presentation made before the training began.
A variety of warships and aircraft participated, including the U.S. dock landing ship USS Ashland and U.S. P-8 Poseidon and Apache helicopters. On shore, a U.S. M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System and a Thai 155-mm coastal artillery also participated.
This year’s Cobra Gold, which began Feb. 24 and concluded Friday, brought together about 8,000 troops from 30 countries for training across Thailand.
The annual exercise, founded in 1982, includes amphibious assaults, humanitarian assistance operations, cyber-defense drills and other multinational training events.
