LOPBURI PROVINCE, Thailand — U.S. Army Electronic Warfare (EW) Soldiers participating in the U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) Exercise Cobra Gold 2026 conducted spectrum-focused training designed to improve detection, protection, and disruption capabilities in a realistic electromagnetic environment at Fort Bhumibol, Thailand, Feb. 25 to March 6, 2026.
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.
Story by Eleanor Prohaska
U.S. Indo-Pacific Command
