US, Cambodia Navies Launch Joint Military Exercise

By Prashanth Parameswaran

On November 16, the United States and Cambodia launched an annual military exercise with an opening ceremony held at the Royal Cambodian Ream Navy Base in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.

The sixth iteration of the annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Cambodia exercise is designed to address shared maritime security priorities, develop relationships, and enhance cooperation between the two navies. It is part of a series of bilateral naval exercises conducted by the U.S. Navy with partners now involving 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”). The Royal Cambodian Navy (RCN) is one of the newer CARAT partners in the exercise series, which began back in 1995.

According to a statement by the U.S. Navy seen by The Diplomat, CARAT Cambodia 2015 will continue through November 20 and will involve approximately 200 U.S. sailors and 300 Cambodian sailors along with key assets. It will feature five days of shore-based and at-sea training events as well as professional symposia to share best practices in various areas including military law, military medicine, and aviation search and rescue.

In terms of assets, CARAT Cambodia 2015 features some notable firsts, Arlo Abrahamson, public affairs officer at the U.S. Seventh Fleet’s Task Force 73 (which helps plan and execute these exercises), told The Diplomat. In particular, the U.S. littoral combat ship (LCS) USS Fort Worth will take part in CARAT Cambodia for the first time. The USS Fort Worth, along with Destroyer Squadron 7 staff and an MH-60R helicopter, will train with a flotilla consisting of two RCN Stenka-class patrol boats (Stenka 1134 and 1141) and one Coastal patrol vessel (PC 1108).

Full story: http://thediplomat.com/2015/11/us-cambodia-navies-launch-joint-military-exercise/