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Building the Data Backbone of the Assault “What we’re providing is a data fusion center,” said U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Brandon Mendez, JCSE’s senior technical advisor for Cobra Gold 26.
Three JCSE teams were strategically positioned across Thailand, including at Camp Jessada with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Their role was to ingest, fuse, and distribute real-time data from every aircraft supporting the AMPHIBEX—Apaches, MH60s, P8s, and more.
“Our guys are ingesting those feeds and pushing all that data to the Cobra Gold Joint Task Force operations center, and then eventually that data is getting all the way up to INDOPACOM,” Mendez said. From there, a cross-domain solution pushed the information to the coalition network, giving Thai partners a live, bilateral common operating picture (COP).
This seamless data flow—air tracks, sensor feeds, and command updates—was the connective tissue that allowed commanders to maintain situational awareness over a complex, multi-domain landing.
PMTEC Made It Possible JCSE’s participation in Cobra Gold 26 was directly coordinated and funded by PMTEC to close longstanding command and control gaps for multiple CJADO events throughout Thailand. Two years ago, JCSE identified a major shortfall: the inability to provide a live bilateral common operating picture during Cobra Gold 24. Taking lessons learned, the JCSE team trained on and used Move Out/Jump Off (MOJO) NEXT kits to translate incompatible messages between different networks. The system is designed for use on land, air, and maritime platforms, allowing for continuous, secure connectivity even during rapid movement or in remote, austere environments.
According to Mendez, the result was transformative. “I was able to take a motivated team, get them trained up, and have the first ever successful bilateral COP for Cobra Gold,” Mendez said. That capability is now fully operational and was essential to the AMPHIBEX.
Rapid, Expeditionary Communications for a Fast-Moving Fight The multi-national, multi-domain amphibious landing required speed, precision, and adaptability. JCSE’s modular kits can be set up in a fraction of the time required by traditional signal units.
“Our kits are very modular — we’re usually up within 30 minutes,” Mendez said. That agility means JCSE can rapidly reposition to support emerging missions, whether for amphibious operations, maritime strike, or HIMARS infiltration. They supported all of those Combined Joint All Domain Operations throughout Cobra Gold 26. During AMPHIBEX, JCSE teams arrived prior to each rehearsal and execution window, conducting comms checks with aircraft and ensuring every link—SATCOM, Link16, TSM-X, and radio nets—was synchronized. Their work ensured that when Marines hit the beach, commanders could see every asset overhead and make informed decisions in real time.
Keeping Warfighters Safe Through Reliable Communications For Mendez, the impact on force protection is clear. “It’s very important for these commanders to see their assets,” he said. Without JCSE’s nodes at Lop Buri, Camp Red Horse and Camp Jessada, the JTF would have had no way to track aircraft supporting the landing.
But JCSE’s role extended beyond data services. Their teams also performed critical Radio Telecommunications Operator duties—safety checks, launch clearances, and coordination calls during high risk events like drone launches and live fire sequences.
PMTEC as the Enabler of Joint, Coalition C2 PMTEC’s investment in JCSE didn’t just enable participation, it enabled capability. By funding modernization, training, and deployment, PMTEC ensured the joint force had the resilient, interoperable communications backbone required for a modern amphibious assault. AMPHIBEX showcased that reality. PMTEC also enabled space and cyber integration, while JCSE delivered the tactical data links, expeditionary nodes, and enabled cross-domain connectivity that made the operation visible, coordinated, and safe.
Supporting the Joint Warfighting Concept The JWC demands a force that can sense, decide, and act faster than any adversary across every domain. By fusing air tracks, cyber effects, space-based navigation and communications, and real-time coalition data into a single operational picture, JCSE enabled the kind of integrated C2 architecture the JWC envisions and PMTEC gets after through their coordination with stakeholders across the exercise and training environment. JCSE’s rapid setup and expeditionary communications nodes embodied the JWC’s requirement for resilient, distributed, and adaptable command-and-control networks—networks that can survive disruption, connect joint and coalition forces, and empower commanders with decision advantage at the tactical edge. PMTEC’s investment and support ensured those capabilities were operational, turning the JWC from a concept, into a lived reality on the beaches of Hat Yao.
Cobra Gold is the Indo-Pacific’s largest annual military exercise in mainland Asia, co-hosted by the U.S. and Thailand. The exercise brings together participants from multiple nations for military training and humanitarian projects that strengthen regional partnerships and demonstrate U.S. commitment to Indo-Pacific security.
U.S. Indo-Pacific Command's J7 Pacific Multi-Domain Training and Experimentation Capability (PMTEC) provided emitter support that allowed electromagnetic warfare teams to train against real electromagnetic signatures, transforming what would have been a theoretical exercise into a hands-on, operationally relevant experience. By introducing active electromagnetic signatures into the training area, PMTEC enabled Soldiers to train against real signals rather than relying solely on simulated or classroom-based instruction. According to U.S. Army Warrant Officer Shelby Honzell, assigned to 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, without active emitters, Soldiers cannot fully execute mission-essential tasks such as electromagnetic support. For U.S. and partner forces refining their electromagnetic warfare capabilities, that realism depends heavily on having a realistic training environment. “I really appreciate the fact that they are putting in the effort to get us emitters,” Honzell said. “It makes the training value much higher when there's targets out there for these Soldiers to target.” Electromagnetic warfare is not a skill set that can be mastered in a classroom alone. Without signals to detect, track, and disrupt EW Soldiers cannot fully execute their mission-essential tasks. “If there are no emitters out there, it makes it difficult for EW to get sets and reps on targeting, as far as their training objectives,” Honzell said. “It makes a difference when Soldiers can physically operate their equipment against live signals and see how their actions affect the environment.” PMTEC’s support ensured those “sets and reps” were possible — enabling Soldiers to conduct direction finding, sensing, and jamming in a realistic electromagnetic environment. This year’s Cobra Gold iteration also incorporated experimentation with Multi-Functional Reconnaissance Company (MFRC) tactics, techniques and procedures. The integration placed reconnaissance elements alongside EW teams, allowing both formations to better understand how they operate together in a modern fight. “We're testing out the MFRCs’ TTPs ensuring reconnaissance scouts and EW teams work as a unified force,” said Honzell. “This integration gives scouts a front-row seat to EW operations, ensuring both elements of reconnaissance are fully synchronized on the battlefield.” That integration reflects a broader shift toward multi-domain operations — a cornerstone of USARPAC’s approach to modern warfare. Success depends on the seamless coordination of ground maneuver forces, reconnaissance, and electromagnetic effects. This coordination improves understanding of how electromagnetic warfare contributes to information collection, targeting, and force protection within a multi-domain framework. Modern warfare increasingly plays out across the electromagnetic spectrum. According to Honzell, EW encompasses three primary functions: electromagnetic attack, including jamming and denial of enemy communications; electromagnetic protection, safeguarding friendly forces and ensuring force protection; and electromagnetic support, including direction finding and sensing to provide commanders with actionable intelligence. Each of those roles requires exposure to realistic signals. PMTEC’s emitter support created that contested environment, enabling troops to practice detecting, protecting, and attacking within the spectrum — rather than simply discussing it. The training environment also provided opportunities for collaboration with Thai counterparts. While Thai EW personnel were not fully integrated on the ground, their presence observing operations fostered shared understanding and future interoperability. “The Royal Thai Army has shown a high level of engagement with our current operations and a strong desire for collaboration,” said Honzell. “This partnership has fostered a highly productive and collaborative training environment.” As military operations increasingly rely on communications networks, sensors, and electronic systems, the ability to operate effectively in the electromagnetic spectrum remains a critical competency. By incorporating emitter support into Cobra Gold 2026, PMTEC enabled electronic warfare Soldiers to conduct practical, field-based training aligned with their operational requirements. “You can’t fully replicate this kind of training in a classroom,” Honzell said. “Operating in a live electromagnetic environment better prepares us to execute our mission.” Established in 2022, PMTEC is a transformative enterprise funded and resourced by the United States Indo-Pacific Command to enhance joint, combined, and coalition warfighting readiness, posture, and lethality in the Indo-Pacific. It has created and is constantly enhancing the largest coalition range system in the world, linking geographically distributed ranges and training areas across the Indo-Pacific theater and beyond. PMTEC is a key component of the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, reinforcing the U.S. commitment to homeland defense and a free and open Indo-Pacific. PMTEC’s integration of advanced training technologies and its alignment with U.S. national security and defense strategies make it a cornerstone of U.S. efforts to maintain regional stability and counter adversarial aggression.