Thai and U.S. Navies train together in CARAT exercises

Pledging to keep the seas free and safe, navies from the Kingdom of Thailand and the U.S. drilled together in May in the annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT), the 29th time the two forces have participated in the joint exercises.

“This exercise remains a model for U.S.–Thai cooperation that has evolved in complexity and allowed our navies to refine operations and tactics in response to emerging challenges,” said Rear Admiral Derek Trinque of the U.S. Navy and commander of the CARAT Task Group.

Security on the oceans is an important component of the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy, which seeks to work with allies to safeguard freedom of navigation from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. The seas, particularly around Southeast Asia, contains some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.

Nations in the region, including Thailand, have stepped up cooperation in patrolling the area and have has some success in improving its security.

“Thailand is America’s oldest treaty partner in Southeast Asia and CARAT is a demonstration of the U.S.’s unwavering commitment to Thailand and like-minded partners, in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific that preserves regional peace, prosperity and stability,” Admiral Trinque added.

“The challenges of the future are not ones any single country will be able to take on,” said Admiral Trinque. “CARAT Thailand contributes to regional maritime security by enhancing our ability to work side-by-side at sea across a wide range of naval competencies.”

Photo courtesy of https://www.c7f.navy.mil/Media/News/Display/Article/3391928/royal-thai-navy-and-us-navy-commence-carat-thailand-2023/