MUARA, Thursday 14 Nov 2013 - The 19th annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) joint exercise between the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) and the United States Navy (USN) commenced with an opening ceremony at the Multi National Coordination Centre (MNCC) at Muara by the First Admiral Dato Seri Pahlawan Abdul Aziz bin Haji Mohd Tamit, Joint Force Commander Royal Brunei Armed Forces (JFC RBAF).
CARAT Brunei 2013 consists of shore-based training events designed to address shared maritime security priorities, develop relationships, and enhance interoperability among participating forces.
CARAT Brunei is part of a series of bilateral naval exercises between the U.S. Navy and the armed forces of nine partner nations in South and Southeast Asia. Training events in each CARAT phase are tailored based on available assets and mutual exercise goals across a broad range of naval capabilities.
Present to witness the launching was Rear Admiral Cindy Thebaud, Commander Task Force 73, His Excellency Andy Loftus, Deputy Chief of Mission to Brunei Darussalam, Senior officers from the Ministry of Defence and senior commanding officers of the combined task force ships from Brunei Darussalam and U.S.
This exercise will be participated by personnel and assets from the Royal Brunei Land Force (RBLF), Royal Brunei Navy (RBN) and Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF).
Training events in each CARAT phase are tailored based on available assets and mutual training goals that span across a broad range of naval capabilities. CARAT Brunei 2013 will focus on traditional warfare through tactical level events such as Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO), Search and Rescue (SAR) operations, and developing Maritime Security capabilities and interoperability using inport symposia and practicals including military operations (MILOPS), aviation, diving, VBSS, maritime interdiction and surveillance and communications. Interaction programmes such as Community Service (COMSERVE) projects, public band performances and sporting events between both forces will also take place during the week-long joint exercise.
CARAT is a series of bilateral naval exercises between the U.S. Navy and the armed forces of Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Timor-Leste since its inception in 1995. CARAT aims at enhancing regional cooperation; building maritime relationships and enhance interoperability among participating forces.