US, Bangladesh launch naval exercise CARAT

The Bangladesh and US navies launched the ‘Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Bangladesh 2020’ on Wednesday to expand relationships and broaden maritime awareness between the two countries.

According to a press release issued by the US embassy in Dhaka on Wednesday, the exercise demonstrates U.S.’s continuing commitment to work with the Bangladesh military to address shared maritime security concerns in the region and strengthen partnership to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

Historically, the CARAT exercises involve people to people interactions and a variety of professional exchanges. These will take place online this year due to the COVID 19 pandemic.

The sea-phase of the exercise will take place in the Bay of Bengal with ships from both countries. The events are designed to enhance interoperability between the two navies. U.S. and Bangladesh will work through coordinated deployment of surface ships, to include tactical maneuvers among other activities. 

About CARAT

The Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (Exercise CARAT) is a series of annual bilateral military exercises conducted by the 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, Sri Lanka 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 author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants. The views expressed here are personal.)