By Prashanth Parameswaran
CARAT Malaysia 2015 kicks off.
On August 17, the United States and Malaysia kicked off a bilateral naval exercise in Sandakan in eastern Malaysia.
The 21st annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Malaysia exercise is designed to address shared maritime security concerns, build relationships and enhance interoperability between U.S. and Malaysian Armed Forces. It is part of a series of bilateral naval exercises conducted by the U.S. Navy with partners and now involves nine countries in South and Southeast Asia – Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Timor-Leste (See: “US Eyes Expanded Military Exercises with ASEAN Navies”).
CARAT Malaysia 2015 will involve more than 1,000 U.S. military members alongside counterparts from the Malaysian Armed Services. It consists of five days of shore-based and at sea training events through August 21. According to a statement by the U.S. Navy seen by The Diplomat, the exercise will feature simultaneous amphibious landings, surface warfare drills, visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) demonstrations, explosive ordnance disposal training, maritime patrol and reconnaissance operations, a gunnery exercise, coastal riverine drills, and civil engineering projects between U.S. Navy Seabees and Malaysian partners. Personnel from both nations will also exchange best practices on naval tactics during a series of military seminars on shore.
Read the full story at The Diplomat