The 5th annual exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Bangladesh came to a close at Naval Base Issa Khan, Oct. 4.
CARAT Bangladesh 2015 consisted of five days of shore-based and at-sea training events designed to address shared maritime security priorities, develop relationships and enhance cooperation among participating forces.
Capt. H.B. Le, commodore, Destroyer Squadron 7, said:
We see CARAT as one of the U.S. Navy’s best opportunities to address shared maritime security concerns, develop relationships and enhance interoperability.
Now in our fifth year working together, CARAT Bangladesh has become the premier engagement between our navies.
In its 21st year, CARAT is a bilateral exercise series between the U.S. Navy and the armed forces of nine partner nations in South and Southeast Asia, including Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Timor-Leste. Though a relatively new participant, Bangladesh stands out as the only South Asian nation in the CARAT series and the exercise continues to make steady progress each year.
Image: US Navy