U-TAPAO ROYAL THAI NAVY AIRPORT, Thailand — U.S. joint services and multinational partners conducted a simulated noncombatant evacuation operation (NEO) during Exercise Cobra Gold 2026 at U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airport, Thailand, Feb. 26, 2026.
The simulated NEO–designed to rehearse the safe removal of civilians during a crisis– strengthened alliance integration and combined humanitarian crisis response in the Indo-Pacific region. “The NEO exercise is an opportunity to demonstrate to the American people, and to our allies and partners, why our alliances matter and why the capabilities of our troops and the skill of our consular officers matter to our citizens,” said Sean O'Neill, U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand.
During the NEO, participating services simulated the evacuation of civilians from an unsafe environment. U.S. service members operated alongside personnel from Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Republic of Korea, and other participating nations to establish security perimeters, conduct accountability processing, and coordinate ground and aviation assets for secure transport.
The scenario required both deliberate synchronized command and control across a multi-domain environment including land, sea, air, cyberspace, and space, to ensure the safe and organized movement of civilian evacuees. By rehearsing shared tactics, techniques, and procedures, participating nations had the opportunity to improve the speed of their response while maintaining accountability and security throughout the operation, overcoming language and operational barriers.
“This noncombatant evacuation operation demonstrates our ability to rapidly transition to assisting the civilian populace when they need it the most,” said Col. Robb T. McDonald, commanding officer of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, I Marine Expeditionary Force. “Cobra Gold is one of the largest multinational military exercises in the world and the U.S. is proud to come here every year to train with our Thai partners.”
Co-hosted by the United States and Thailand, Cobra Gold 2026 brings together approximately 8,000 service members from 30 nations to participate in military training and humanitarian civic assistance projects across Thailand. As the largest joint exercise in mainland Asia, Cobra Gold remains one of the cornerstones of the enduring U.S.-Thai alliance, and a platform for building multinational partner military capability and interoperability, the ability of allied forces to operate seamlessly together effectively across multiple theaters and environments during multinational operations. —30—