Joint exercise by US, Bangladesh navies begins

A naval exercise between the navies of Bangladesh and the United States kicked off in Chattogram on Sunday, said a press release yesterday.

The two sides participated under the 24th naval exercise, titled “Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT)”, in Asia-Pacific region.

A total of five ships, including a guided missile frigate and patrol crafts from the Bangladesh Navy, and a maritime patrol aircraft and a dry cargo ship from the US Navy, will conduct a series of cooperative evolutions ashore and at sea.

Speaking on the occasion, Rear Admiral Joey Tynch, commander of Task Force 73, said, “The long-standing partnership between Bangladesh and the United States reflects our shared belief that regional challenges increasingly require cooperative solutions by capable naval forces.”

Rear Admiral M Abu Ashraf, commander of Chattogram Naval Area, said, “We all understand the complexities of the maritime domain, and we need collaborative initiatives for all like CARAT.”

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 in the exercise.