Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training

Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training
Name	Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training
Abbreviation	CARAT
Established	1995
Region	Southeast Asia, South Asia, Pacific
Participants	United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, United States Coast Guard, Royal Australian Navy, Republic of Singapore Navy, Royal Malaysian Navy, Royal Thai Navy

Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training

Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training is a recurring series of bilateral and multilateral maritime exercises conducted in the Indo-Pacific region. The program brings together surface ships, submarines, maritime patrol aircraft, special operations forces, and logistic elements from regional navies and partner forces to focus on readiness, interoperability, logistics, and maritime security. Participants include navies and marine forces from Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean rim alongside elements from the United States Pacific Fleet, United States Seventh Fleet, United States Indo-Pacific Command, and associated diplomatic and defense institutions.

Overview

CARAT operates as a seasonal set of exercises that emphasize gunnery, anti-submarine warfare, maritime interdiction, humanitarian assistance, and combined operations. Units commonly involved include surface combatants such as USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), HMAS Anzac (FFH 150), and patrol vessels from the Philippine Navy, while aviation assets like P-3 Orion, P-8 Poseidon, and helicopter squadrons from the Republic of Singapore Air Force support training. CARAT voyages integrate staff elements from the Chief of Naval Operations, Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, embassies and defense attachés, and partner institutions such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and regional maritime agencies.

History

CARAT traces origins to post-Cold War security cooperation initiatives under administrations and offices including the Clinton administration and later policies shaped by the Bush administration and the Obama administration pivot to Asia. Early iterations paralleled programs like Khan Quest and RIMPAC and evolved alongside treaties such as the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization's historical framework and agreements influenced by the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. Over decades CARAT expanded its roster as regional dynamics involving the People's Republic of China, India, Australia, and island states such as Palau and Papua New Guinea shifted maritime priorities.

Organization and Participants

CARAT is coordinated by task groups drawing staff from the United States Seventh Fleet, allied navies including the Royal Malaysian Navy, Royal Brunei Navy, Bangladesh Navy, and the Royal Thai Navy, as well as coast guards such as the Japan Coast Guard and the Republic of Korea Coast Guard. Host nation support often involves ministries such as the Ministry of Defence (Singapore), the Philippine Department of National Defense, and naval headquarters like the Indian Navy Headquarters. Liaison officers and legal advisors from institutions like the United Nations and regional security forums attend for planning and to align operations with accords such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Training Exercises and Programs

Typical CARAT activities include anti-piracy maneuvers similar to those practiced during Operation Atalanta, boarding operations akin to Operation Enduring Freedom, live-fire drills comparable to scenarios at Exercise Malabar, and combined amphibious operations reflecting techniques from Exercise Talisman Sabre. Specialist components draw tactics from Maritime Patrol Reconnaissance Force doctrines, diving and salvage methods used in Operation Tomodachi, and disaster response protocols that mirror international relief efforts like those after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Training curricula often parallel standardized courses at institutions such as the Naval War College, the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, and the Marshall Center.

Capabilities and Impact

CARAT enhances combined anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare coordination, maritime domain awareness, and logistics interoperability among participants. Exercises improve sensor fusion between platforms like AN/SQQ-89 systems and aircraft such as the Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk, and refine procedures for boarding teams and special operations units similar to the United States Naval Special Warfare Command. Strategic effects include strengthening relationships between capitals such as Washington, D.C., New Delhi, Canberra, and Singapore, contributing to regional stability alongside forums like the East Asia Summit and confidence-building measures under the ASEAN Regional Forum.

Incidents and Controversies

CARAT has occasionally been linked to geopolitical friction when large-scale maneuvers overlapped contested waters near features associated with the South China Sea arbitration and incidents involving assets from the People's Liberation Army Navy. Diplomatic objections have arisen from statements by ministries such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (China) and have been mentioned in parliamentary debates in capitals including Beijing, Manila, and Kuala Lumpur. Operational incidents have included close approaches, contested communications, and legal disputes concerning jurisdictional claims under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, prompting reviews by legal bodies and defense committees in legislatures like the United States Congress and national defense councils.

Category:Naval exercises Category:United States Indo-Pacific operations