U.S. Navy Sailors and U.S. Marine Corps Marines joined the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) in Lumut today to formally open the 31st iteration of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Malaysia. The ceremony marks the start of a week of combined military activities that bring together U.S. and Malaysian forces for training both on shore and at sea.
Over the coming days, participants will take part in a broad slate of engagements, including subject matter expert exchanges (SMEEs), sea-phase drills, and community events such as COMRELs and a sports day.
“It is such a privilege for us to be here again, celebrating 31 years of the CARAT exercise series with our Malaysian partners,” said Capt. Matt Cox, deputy commodore, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7 and U.S. Navy head of delegation. “This exercise, which highlights the longstanding role that partnerships play in our ability to defend a free and open Indo-Pacific, acts as a venue for us to jointly address shared maritime security challenges.”
Following the kickoff, SMEEs will focus on a range of operational areas including cyber, legal, maritime domain awareness, medical response, diving and salvage, explosive ordnance disposal, and even military band engagements. Marine Rotational Force – Southeast Asia (MRF-SEA) personnel will also run a staff exercise to practice integrated planning across participating units.
Sailors from the Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Cincinnati (LCS 20) are scheduled to join a community outreach event at the Nur Hidayah Orphanage Home, part of the exercise’s emphasis on strengthening people-to-people ties in addition to military coordination.
CARAT Malaysia will conclude with a series of at-sea events in the Strait of Malacca, where Cincinnati will operate alongside RMN frigate KD Lekiu (FFG 30). These drills are designed to reinforce interoperability, build combined operational skills, and enhance regional maritime security cooperation.
Now in its 31st year, CARAT remains one of the region’s cornerstone training engagements, aimed at boosting maritime readiness and strengthening U.S. partnerships across the Indo-Pacific. This iteration follows SEACAT 2025, another major regional exercise bringing together ASEAN partners and the U.S. Navy to advance shared security objectives.
DESRON 7, the U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed destroyer squadron in Southeast Asia, leads CARAT as part of its wider mission overseeing littoral combat ship operations and building regional partnerships. U.S. 7th Fleet, the Navy’s largest forward-deployed fleet, continues to work with allies and partners to support a free and open Indo-Pacific.