Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training

The Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (Exercise CARAT) is a series of annual bilateral military exercises conducted by United States Pacific Fleet with several member nations of ASEAN in Southeast Asia. Currently, the navies of Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand participate. Objectives of CARAT include enhancing regional cooperation; building friendships, and strengthening professional skills. In 2010, Cambodia and Bangladesh became the first CARAT participants to join the exercise since 1995.

The objective of CARAT 2011 was to enhance regional naval cooperation by strengthening the professional skills of its participants. Task Force 73 served as the U.S. Navy executive agent for the CARAT 2011 exercises.

The U.S. Navy's guided-missile destroyer Kidd joined the guided-missile frigate Ford, the mine counter-measures ship Defender, and the salvage ship Safeguard participated in the first-ever CARAT Bangladesh bilateral exercises (pictured) which began on 18 September 2011 at the Bangladesh naval base at Issa Khan. Task Force 73 commander (CTF-73) Rear Admiral Tom Carney noted:

CARAT Bangladesh combined training events ashore and at sea, with shore events focused on dive training, riverine warfare, ship boarding training, and medical and community service projects. At-sea training operations included helicopter operations, shipboard communications and maneuvering drills, surface gunnery exercises. and tactical freeplay events.

The U.S. destroyer Kidd and salvage ship Safeguard subsequently participated in the 2nd annual CARAT Cambodia bilateral exercise which began on 20 October 2011 with opening ceremonies in Sihanoukville (pictured). TF-73 commander Admiral Carney (pictured) added:

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