The Royal Thai Navy and the U.S. Navy began training at sea during the 28th annual Maritime Cooperative Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise on May 23.
The exercise, held in the Gulf of Thailand, underscores the cooperation between the United States and Thailand to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is critical to regional peace, security and stability.
“28 years of CARAT Thailand represents a long-standing alliance between the Thai people and the American people,” said Cmdr. USS Jackson (LCS 6) Captain Brian Bungay. “We value these opportunities to work with the Royal Thai Navy to promote regional security cooperation and to strengthen and enhance our ongoing cooperation capabilities.”
The nations will demonstrate their ability to cooperate through numerous activities, including tactics aimed at enhancing communication as ships sail together in complex exercises. The exercise included the use of P-8s for sea awareness tracking, aimed at improving the ability of the two navies to track and pursue targets beyond line of sight, and in addition to search and rescue training, the two navies also practiced cross-deck landings of helicopters.
Subject matter expert exchanges feature a variety of joint training opportunities designed to enhance the competencies and knowledge of participants.
The maritime phase will take place in territorial and international waters near Sattahip and Koh Samui, with USS Jackson (LCS 6) and P-8A Poseidon aircraft assigned to the Commander of Task Force 72 (CTF) with aircraft from the Royal Thai Navy The training focuses on building interoperability and strengthening relationships.
The naval vessels of the Royal Thai Navy include HTMS Naresuan (FFG 421) and HTMS Bhumibol Adulyadej (FFG 471).
“The Royal Thai Navy believes that this exercise is very valuable for developing the knowledge, capabilities and experience of its own personnel,” said Vice-Admiral Pisal Meesri, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Fleet. “I believe that professional sharing, field practice, training at sea, all All participating forces will benefit greatly.”
Beginning in 1995, CARAT was based on other operations in South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific region. Each CARAT exercise features specialized workshops and a robust maritime phase that incorporates complex evolutions to increase joint operations. Both have a wide range of naval capabilities, from explosive ordnance disposal and live-fire exercises to search and rescue and humanitarian assistance and disaster response.
USS Jackson, part of DESRON 7, is deploying on a rotational basis to the U.S. 7th Fleet Area of Operations to support security and stability in the region, and with allied and partner navies to provide maritime security and stability, a key pillar of freedom and security. Open Indo-Pacific.
As the U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed destroyer squadron in Southeast Asia, DESRON 7 serves as the primary tactical and operational commander for littoral combat ships that rotate to Singapore, as the maritime operational commander for the 7th Expeditionary Strike Group, and through training exercises and military operations Partnerships – Military engagements.
