Bangladesh, US navies begin Carat exercise
The navies of Bangladesh and the United States yesterday began an eight-day of maritime safety and security exercises in Chittagong.
This is the first-ever Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (Carat) Bangladesh 2011, said a press release of the US embassy in Dhaka.
The exercise formally began at BNS Issa Khan, marking the first time Bangladesh has participated in the 17-year old Carat exercise series, which the US Navy conducts with navies of seven other Southeast Asian nations.
Carat participants now include Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
There are four US Navy ships and approximately 500 US personnel participating in the exercise.
The ships include the guided missile destroyer, the frigate, mine countermeasures ship and the dive and salvage rescue ship.
Carat Bangladesh combines training events ashore and at sea, with shore events focused on dive training, riverine warfare, ship boarding training and medical and community service projects.
Training events are helicopter operations, shipboard communications, maneuvering drills, surface gunnery exercises and tactical free play.
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