Bangladesh & the US launches joint naval exercise ‘CARAT Bangladesh 2020’
- The Navies of Bangladesh and the US are participating in the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Bangladesh 2020, which began on 4th November 2020, to expand relationships and broaden maritime awareness between the two countries.
- The sea-phase of the exercise will take place in the Bay of Bengal.
- CARAT Bangladesh 2020 will see the US’s continuing commitment to working with the Bangladesh military to address shared maritime security concerns in the region and strengthen its partnership to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region
- This is the first year United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Bali Process Regional Support Office are supporting CARAT Bangladesh.
About Exercise CARAT
- The Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (Exercise CARAT) is a series of bilateral military exercises conducted by the United States Pacific Fleet since 1995, with several member nations of ASEAN in Southeast Asia every year.
- Currently, the navies of Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand participate.
- The main objective of CARAT is to enhance regional cooperation; building friendships, and strengthen professional skills.